


Just a Better Place to Die

by cuttlecuttlefishfish



Category: Dragon Quest XI
Genre: (actually that may end up being a lie), Acts One through Three, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Asexual Character, Canon-Typical Violence, Jasper is Good and He Hates It, More Relationships TBD - Freeform, Multi, Non-Binary Hero, Non-Binary Sylvando, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Alternating, POV Third Person, Rated T for Veronica and Erik Swearing Everywhere, The Party Adopts Jasper, Traitor!Erik, ish, not as angsty as the title makes it sound, some Canon Dialogue
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-24
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-16 05:55:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 21,195
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28951542
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cuttlecuttlefishfish/pseuds/cuttlecuttlefishfish
Summary: Though Erik's dreams tell him to have faith in the Luminary, there isn't much reason for faith without his sister around. So when a mysterious voice offers to free his sister in exchange for the death of the Luminary, Erik figures he doesn't have anything left to lose. His mission is complicated by the fact that the Luminary turns out to be nothing like the untouchable figure of legend, and more like someone Erik could find himself following...Jasper knows what it is like to lose himself to despair, but even at his lowest point, he knows better than to fall for the false promises whispered into his ear. Yet after the Fall of Dundrasil, Jasper cannot help but notice the changes in the king he'd sworn himself to so many years ago, and finds himself torn between duty to his king and duty to his people.(There will be spoilers for pretty much the entirety of Act One and Act Two (plus possibly Act Three), so if by chance you don't want to be spoiled, I recommend skipping over this fic. Title is from the song One Foot by fun.)
Relationships: Camus | Erik & Hero | Luminary, Camus | Erik/Hero | Luminary (Dragon Quest XI), Graig | Hendrik & Homer | Jasper, Homer | Jasper & Camus | Erik, Homer | Jasper & Hero | Luminary, Homer | Jasper & Marutina | Jade (Dragon Quest XI), Homer | Jasper & Rou | Rab (Dragon Quest XI), Homer | Jasper & Sena | Serena, Homer | Jasper & Sylvia | Sylvando (Dragon Quest XI), Homer | Jasper & Veronica, Jasper & Healthy Relationships
Comments: 18
Kudos: 28





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A few notes before we get to the fun stuff (you can skip and still understand the story, if you really don't want to read this chunk of text, though you might at least want to look at #4):  
> 1\. Though Jasper's presence on the side of good is going to change quite a few things, a lot of those changes will happen at the very beginning of Act One as well as throughout Act Two (I'm still figuring out whether he affects Act Three enough to bother writing it, so we'll see whether there's any inspiration left in me by the time I reach it). Because of this, there are large chunks of the story left unchanged. It would be boring for me to just... rehash the exact story but with some quippy lines from Jasper, so a lot of the parts that remain unchanged will be skimmed over or focus in on how they affect a specific character. I've kept in references to what point they're at in the plot for clarity's sake (and so that you don't have to rely on your memory of everything that ever happened in the plot), but any chunks that would be solely canon dialogue have been skipped over, because if y'all were looking for canon dialogue, you'd go look up a walkthrough video or replay the game yourself. There will be parts with canon dialogue, though I've tried to limit them.  
> 2\. I have yet to decide on most of the non-platonic relationships that I'll include in this fic. Pretty much the only concrete one is Erik/Luminary, but there are others which I'm considering. So if I end up doing a ship you really don't like, sorry? I mean, I'm not gonna change it, and I'm building towards certain possibilities, but consider this your warning for surprise ships, I guess. Any ships that end up in here will be handled with the proper respect within this fic's canons.  
> 3\. Jasper's character might be slightly off, because I've written him to have, you know, some degree of emotional intelligence and empathy? Honestly, with how he's been treated by canon, I almost (key word: almost) don't blame him for turning evil. Guy just wanted some love from the people around him. So that's exactly what I'm giving him. I'll stop talking about Jasper now before I start ranting but feel free to comment if you want the full Jasper Rant (tm).  
> 4\. Okay, okay, I promise this is the last one. You might notice that this is tagged "Chose Not to Use Archive Warnings". However, most of the archive warnings actually do not apply, and I plan to try to put a content/trigger warning on the start of each chapter (please please please let me know if there's one I should add, I don't want to trigger anyone but I don't know every single one of the most common triggers). The one archive warning that may apply may be a spoiler, depending on how I treat Act Two. *SKIP NOW IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE SPOILED* That tag would be Major Character Death, and I have yet to decide whether it will apply. *SPOILER OVER*
> 
> If you read this whole note, thanks for your patience! I have a tendency to ramble in these things, honestly, but they can pretty much be skipped over if you're just itching to read.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content warning: blood (note that there will be mentions of blood throughout the work, so here's the blanket warning)

Erik twirled his dagger between his fingers, listening closely for any sign of the guard returning. If everything went to plan— as the voice promised— the next prisoner to be locked up would be none other than the Luminary. All Erik had to do was earn their trust, get them to spill whatever Luminary secrets they had, and stab them in the back. Simple. Then he’d be home free, with an alive and ungoldified sister, and enough riches to last them lifetimes.

The door to the dungeon creaked open, and Erik shoved the dagger back into the hidden sheath in his tunic. Walking down the corridor, flanked by four guards, was the person that must have been the Luminary. Their head hung low, their face obscured from view by their hair. One of the guards tossed a bundle of weapons and other items into the storeroom, and the other three ushered them into the cell next to Erik’s. Without protest, they shuffled in and slumped against the wall as the guards locked the door behind them. There were footfalls as the guards walked away, then the slamming of a door, then nothing.

Instead of resigning themself to their fate, the new prisoner began to poke around the cell. Erik took the opportunity to study them. 

Their face was youthful, boyish, and held an expression resembling that of a baby bird pushed from its nest only to fall into the waiting jaws of an alley cat. Erik wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting from the prophesied Luminary, but a barely-adult with a face that screamed _“you could stab me and I would apologize”_ wasn’t it. They’d certainly gotten the short end of the stick, but Erik wasn’t about to complain about an easy mark. 

The probably-Luminary rattled the cell door, and Erik decided it was time to speak up. “Hey, will you keep it down in there? Most folks they throw in here have the decency to wait a while before going stir-crazy.”

At his voice, they jumped, their head snapping up so fast they nearly bashed it against the door. Still, they said nothing.

Erik sat up. “What are you in for, anyhow? You don’t get free bed and board down here without having done something pretty bad.”

They gave him a flat look. “I don’t know.” Their voice was soft, raspy, with a hint of an accent Erik couldn’t quite place. “My mum, she told me I was the reincarnation of the Luminary and sent me to talk to the king about it. He threw me down here.” Even in the near silence of the dungeons, they were barely audible.

“Wait— did you say ‘the Luminary’? You’re serious?” Erik had never been much of an actor, but they seemed to buy it, nodding glumly. There it was. The confirmation he needed to go through with the voice’s plan. “You’re telling me the Luminary has just shown up in the cell next to mine? This is crazy…” Maybe he was laying it on a little thick, but he’d been waiting in that cell for a long while. He was going to milk his performance as long as he wanted to. “Look, we’d better get out of here. Wait here, I’ll take care of the guard.”

He didn’t wait for confirmation before picking the lock of his cell and slipping out. Once he was out of sight, he moved his sheath to his belt and gathered the Luminary’s things from the storeroom, before knocking out the single guard. The man went down with a shout. Shit. Erik had hoped they’d have a cleaner getaway. Still, nothing left to do about it but go.

When he returned to the cells, the Luminary frowned.

“Don’t worry,” Erik huffed, “I didn’t kill him. He just won’t be waking up any time soon.” He unlocked the cell door and handed them the bundle he’d collected. “This is your stuff, right? Good thing you’ve got a sword, ‘cause things could get pretty hairy.”

“What about you?”

“Me?” He chuckled, patting the dagger on his belt. “I got this little beauty back, so now I’m pretty much unstoppable.” 

The Luminary still looked skeptical.

Erik rolled his eyes. “Come on, we’ve gotta get out of here, ready or not.” He stepped back into his cell, and they followed. “I spent ages digging this hole, and you just happened to show up the day I finished it. Lucky you.” 

Without a word, the Luminary stepped up to examine the hole. Seemingly satisfied with what they saw, they crawled in, and Erik soon followed. In no time at all, they’d be out. Erik could practically smell the sea air of the desert island he planned to retire to, once Mia was free. He just had to keep following the Luminary and put his faith in the plan.

 _Or maybe put your faith in the Luminary,_ some traitorous part of his brain whispered. 

_Shut up,_ Erik replied. 

Everything would go as planned. He’d make sure of it.

\----- 

This wasn’t part of the plan. 

Jasper knew what King Carnelian— or the fiend wearing his face— meant, of course, when he said “you know what to do,” but as ruthless as he was known to be, Jasper wasn’t keen to slaughter an entire town of innocents. Better yet, he couldn’t even persuade Hendrik to come with him instead of escorting the Luminary to the dungeons. 

Damned sentimentality. No matter how stupid it was, Jasper couldn’t convince himself to take flight without Hendrik by his side. Now, instead of running off to the mountains of Hotto or the forests of Arboria and building a stupid, quaint little cottage with the lout, he had to figure out a way to trick King Carnelian into thinking he’d killed the people of Cobblestone, who’d done nothing wrong but adopt a child that just so happened to be the reincarnation of the Luminary.

The path leading into the village stretched out in front of him. He turned to face the small crew he’d brought with him. 

“I will go alone first, to make sure the Darkspawn has not lied to us about his place of origin. You do not want to have the blood of innocents on your hands, do you?”

“But Sir Jasper, what if they attack you?” one soldier piped up.

Jasper laughed. “If they attack me and, through some sort of twisted miracle, manage to get the better of me, I will shoot a fireball into the air. But they are less likely to be suspicious if I go alone. Stay here. That’s an order.”

“Of course, sir.”

Once Jasper was certain they wouldn’t follow— as certain as he could be, given how foolishly loyal his troops were— he turned and started down the path. There it was, in the hollow of the valley, the village of Cobblestone. Its citizens bustled back and forth, ignorant to the fate of their beloved Luminary.

The first to notice him was a stout woman with a kind countenance. “Oh! That crest, you must be one of Heliodor’s knights!” She beamed, hurrying up to him. “I take it my little warrior made it there safely?”

Jasper drew in a long, slow breath through his nose. “If you could, please gather the rest of the village for me. I have an important matter to discuss with all of you.”

Her face blanched, and he knew immediately that her thoughts had turned to the worst. If he were a better man, he might have comforted her, but Jasper had never claimed to be a good man. 

“I’ll go do that now,” she murmured, rushing off. 

In the span of only a few minutes, the entire village was gathered in front of him, their faces ranging from hopeful to grim.

“The Luminary is set to be executed,” Jasper announced without fanfare. Horrified gasps rang through the village center, but he continued without paying them any mind. “If the king were to have his way, the rest of you would go with him, for harboring an enemy to the crown.”

“No!” a girl shrieked from the crowd. “You can’t kill them, you bastard!”

“Silence! As I said, that is only if the king were to have his way. Of course, if the population of this little village happened to vanish and the buildings were burned to the ground, the official report might just be that the punishment was carried out. And if a few nearby towns happened to gain a boost in population, that would be nobody’s business.” He unhooked a sack of coins from his belt and tossed it to the woman who had greeted him earlier. “That should be enough for all of you to get back on your feet. Gather what you wish to keep and find somewhere to hide while I burn what remains. Do not come out until Cobblestone has lain empty for an hour. Once these events are all but forgotten, I am certain you will be able to return and rebuild.”

A priest stepped forward from the crowd. “Thank you, kind sir, for your—”

Jasper sneered, cutting the man off with a wave of his hand. “Oh, don’t thank me, or I might just change my mind. Hurry along now before I actually do.”

“Of course, sir.”

And hurry they did. Jasper scarcely had time to blink before the villagers had gathered their things and started up the path towards the mountain cave. A clever place to hide, if anyone other than Jasper were coming after them. If he had truly wanted to kill them, he would have scoured every inch of the place. 

Not that it mattered. Jasper was who he was, and he was sparing the people of Cobblestone. He had no need to think of the alternatives.

Once the villagers were out of sight, he shot a fireball at the closest building. Most were made of stone, but there were plenty with wooden roofs and supports. Fire would do the trick just fine. Jasper didn’t have nearly enough blood in him to make it look as though an entire town had been killed, but a bit splattered over the non-burnt parts would be a nice touch, even if it would be a pain to explain away strange wounds. That, plus a charred-flesh smell from overcooked rabbits, would hopefully be enough to convince any scout the king sent.

He was surveying his handiwork— and wrapping his wounds— when footsteps sounded behind him.

“Jasper. What have you _done_?” 

And there he was. Hendrik. Jasper sighed and turned to face him. “I am only doing what His Majesty ordered.”

Hendrik’s eyes narrowed. “His Majesty ordered you to slaughter innocents?”

“Do you not believe me?”

“I’m starting to believe that your conspiracy about His Majesty being possessed by an evil force is an excuse for you to spread strife through Heliodor.”

“Hendrik,” Jasper growled. “I have done nothing to lose your trust, yet you continue to assume the worst of me. His Majesty ordered the destruction of this village, and I warned the villagers away and gave them the chance to take their things as well. But I cannot return to Heliodor with _that_ report.”

“What reason do I have to believe you?”

“We have had our differences, Hendrik, but we have still been at each other’s sides our entire lives. I would not lie to you about this.”

“We swore an oath to our king.”

“Yes, we swore an oath to our king, not to the darkness!” Jasper hissed. “I do not know whether our king still lives, but I will not serve as a tool to the fiend who would see Heliodor fall. We already failed Princess Jade, and it may be too late to save our king, but I would not be able to live with myself knowing that I played a part in our kingdom’s downfall.”

Hendrik was silent.

“Of course _you_ are incapable of understanding.” Jasper turned away from him. “Tell the fiend what you want, but I will not be returning.” He could no longer hold out for the hope that he could get any sort of message through the man’s thick skull. With one hand, he unfastened his knight’s emblem— his last token of fealty to a kingdom already lost— and dropped it on the ground. It clattered against the stones of the path, Jasper's heart falling alongside it, and that seemed to break Hendrik out of his stupor.

“I cannot raise my sword against my king,” Hendrik said. “But I will not raise my sword against my dearest friend.” There was the clank of armor against cobblestone, and Jasper looked back to see Hendrik kneeling before him with a fist held to his chest. “Go with Yggdrasil’s blessing, my friend.”

“You’re a fool,” Jasper replied, and left his oldest friend kneeling in the dirt.

\-----

Less than a week had passed since Erik first met the Luminary— named Eleven, apparently, and what kind of name was that? Erik would come up with a good nickname eventually— and he’d already experienced more excitement in that time than he had in the rest of his life. A dragon residing under the castle, the Luminary communicating with one of Yggdrasil’s roots, and best of all, the two of them liberating the Red Orb from the Kingsbarrow. Eleven didn’t even give him a sideways glance when he pocketed it, not that they would have been able to convince him to part with it again. 

Now they were on the road to Cobblestone, and with every step, Eleven’s mood seemed to lift. By the time Cobblestone Tor stood clear against the horizon, they were practically floating.

A happy reunion, unlike the Tor, was not on the horizon for Eleven. Cobblestone came into view, and instead of a thriving village, there was nothing but ashes and rubble. The sight struck Erik square in the chest, leaving him struggling to breathe, let alone find the words that could ease the shock that cemented itself in Eleven’s expression.

“What the heck happened here..?” he muttered.

His words shattered whatever force had rooted Eleven’s feet to the ground, and they took off running towards the village center, leaving Erik to stare after them. Despite his question, he had a creeping feeling that he knew exactly what happened to Cobblestone. He wasn’t a fixture of the castle by any stretch of the imagination, but he had been around enough to see the way Jasper carried out the king’s orders with cold efficiency. The king wouldn’t have gone himself, and Hendrik, for all his stiffness, still appeared to care about the citizens of Heliodor. The only person who could have caused this amount of destruction was Jasper. 

But the one who gave the order must have been King Carnelian. Erik could be dense sometimes, but he was no fool. He’d recognized King Carnelian’s way of speaking as the same as the voice that promised to free his sister. So the owner of the voice was the one truly behind it all. Erik had known that they wanted the Luminary dead, but an entire village wiped off the map..?

No. He couldn’t afford to get distracted. Mia was counting on him, and he would not fail her again. All he needed to do was follow the Luminary’s lead and take them out when the signal came. 

His mind made up, Erik started down the path Eleven had taken. He found them standing in front of a large tree wrapped up by a glowing root, the symbol on their hand glowing with the same light.

Erik turned away. If communicating with the World Tree was how Eleven grieved, Erik wasn’t about to judge them for it.

He only turned back around when he heard them gasp. The glow was gone, but they still stared off into the distance. Clearly Erik would have to say something if the two of them were to move on.

“Are you okay? I lost you for a minute there.” The softness in his voice surprised even him, but he didn’t have time to sit and analyze it. “Not surprising, I guess…”

Eleven looked to him, then shook their head.

Despite himself, Erik raised his hand to grip their shoulder. “I can’t believe they’d do this…” After his revelation, the lie was bitter on his tongue, but he forced it past. Lies like that were just something he’d have to get used to. “And just because you grew up here? What kind of animals are they? Jasper and his goons must have ridden straight here after you got thrown in the dungeons and torched the place…”

“I don’t need the reminder,” Eleven said sharply. “Thanks.”

Erik retracted his hand. “Yeah. Sorry.”

There was silence then, until Erik’s curiosity got the better of him. 

“Hey—” he cut himself off, rolling the words over again in his mind until he could phrase them in the way least likely to offend. It wouldn’t do to drive away Eleven before he could achieve his goal. That was it, the only reason. He couldn’t afford to care otherwise. “Just now when you zoned out, the mark on your hand was glowing. So was that root. Was it another one of those visions?”

And with that, the determination returned to Eleven’s face, and they jumped into an explanation of what they’d seen. Erik couldn’t help but send a quick prayer of thanks to Yggdrasil. Things would be okay, once they got past this. He just had to have faith.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick, random note: The emblems that Hendrik and Jasper both have are referred to as both "knight's emblems" and "tokens of fealty" at different points in canon, and from what I can tell looking into it, they do seem to be the same thing, so I'll be treating them as such. I think that throughout my drafts, I've just been using "knight's emblem" to keep it from getting confusing, but if at some point I refer to one of them as a "token of fealty", they're the same thing within this work.
> 
> Also, fun fact that I just learned today: according to some sources, Jasper's most prized possession is his token of fealty??? I'm just— wild, man. It hurts my heart.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was originally going to wait until Saturday evening to post this but I am sitting on nine finished chapters and I just couldn't wait any longer to get another one out there. I hope you enjoy!

The campfire crackled merrily, a sharp juxtaposition from the silence that had fallen over the campsite. Erik tapped white ash off of the stick he’d been using to poke at the flames. 

Eleven hadn’t spoken since their encounter with Hendrik at the Door of Departure. Whether they were mourning their village or they were too exhausted to hold a conversation, Erik didn’t know. Either way, he couldn’t exactly judge them. If he were in the same situation, he doubted he would have been able to hold himself together as well as they did.

It was when their eyelids began to droop for the fifth time that evening that Erik decided enough was enough.

“Okay, that’s it. You need sleep.” He tossed the stick into the fire. “I’ll take first watch, and _you_ will lie down and sleep.”

Eleven’s eyebrows furrowed. They opened their mouth, but Erik glared at them until they backed down. 

“Fine.” Eleven turned their back to the fire and laid down. 

Erik watched until their breathing evened out, and which point he stood, stretched, and turned to face the perimeter of the campsite. Beyond the circle of light, monsters roamed. None of them spared the camp a second glance, repelled by the grace of the goddess statue. If only that same power worked against dogged knights of Heliodor. Granted, given that neither Eleven nor Erik knew where they’d ended up, it was unlikely Hendrik would be able to find them, but that hadn’t been enough to ease the furrow between Eleven’s brows when Erik suggested they settle down for the night before trying to get their bearings.

Erik was _not_ getting attached to the Luminary. There was just no way he could get them to trust him if he didn’t pay at least a little attention to their wellbeing. It didn’t matter that the look they’d worn on their face after Cobblestone felt like a dozen tiny knives digging into Erik’s skin. He wasn’t heartless, after all, but he couldn’t let anything get in the way of his goal.

From inside his bag, he pulled out the Red Orb. His sister would have loved it, even if it didn’t do anything special.

“Just a little longer, Mia,” he muttered at its shining center. “Once you’re free, I’ll take you wherever you want. I promise.”

“Wha’s happenin’?”

Erik’s head snapped up. From the other side of the campfire, Eleven blinked at him sleepily. 

“You’re supposed to be sleeping.” Erik shoved the Orb back into his bag.

They yawned, moving into a cross-legged seated position. “Can’t.”

“We have no idea what we’re going to be up against tomorrow. You can’t fight if you’re dead on your feet.”

Eleven hummed noncommittally, eyes flickering to where the Orb laid hidden. “Why is the Orb so important to you?”

Erik bristled. “It’s mine. I stole it fair and square.” 

A half-choked snicker escaped from Eleven’s mouth, and their hand shot up to cover it. Was that the first time Erik had heard them laugh? He wasn’t sure, but it felt important all the same.

“Sure, laugh it up. Better keep one eye on your stuff.”

The snicker evolved into a full-blown laughing fit. Erik’s line of thought screeched to a halt. 

“I’m not that funny,” he said hopelessly, then watched in horror as Eleven’s laughter dissolved into tears. What the hell was he supposed to do about that? He could barely remember how he used to deal with Mia when she caused trouble, let alone when she cried. Shit, what did people usually talk about in situations like this? Was he supposed to distract them? Talk them through it? Just sit there until they stopped crying?

“Did I ever tell you about the time I filled a nobleman’s room up with chickens?” he blurted.

Eleven stopped short, staring at Erik with watery eyes. They shook their head, and Erik launched into the tale of one of his first solo heists, gone very, very wrong. By the end of it, Eleven’s eyes were dry, and Erik’s cheeks hurt from his grin. 

“That bracelet’s probably still decorating some chicken’s coop somewhere,” he finished. “With how hard that thing can peck, I doubt anyone’s managed to take it. And oh, that reminds me of when I crashed a circus performance and had to juggle knives on the spot.”

Their eyes went wide, egging Erik on into starting a second tale. By the time he finished it, the sun was beginning to creep above the horizon. Well, the two of them hadn’t gotten any sleep, but Eleven at least didn’t look like they were about to pass out. They went to pack up the Fun-Sized Forge, and Erik kicked dirt over the campfire to snuff it out. Hopefully there was a town nearby where they could get some actual rest.

As if Yggdrasil Herself heard his thoughts, they’d barely set out before they came across a sign labeled “Hotto”, pointing further up the mountain. Of course, the path up the mountain was lined with monsters, but he and Eleven could handle them. 

By the time the two of them reached the entrance to Hotto, Erik was ready to throw himself onto whatever soft surface he could find. A group of Garudas had gotten the jump on them, and though they managed to fight them off, Erik had taken several hits that he was sure would turn into bruises. All he wanted was to find a room and sleep away his aches, but before he could, one of the townsfolk ran bustling up to him and grabbed his hands.

“Two travellers come—” 

...And Erik was already tuning him out. Something about sweat? He extricated his hands from his grip, doing his best not to grimace. “Umm… We’re kind of too busy to be… sweating, thanks. Appreciate the offer, though.”

Eleven shot him a sly look as the man continued on, saying something about Erik smelling like the road. Swell.

“Fine. I’ll visit your bathhouse if it means that much to you,” Erik groaned. He nudged Eleven in the side. “You don’t exactly smell like a spring flower, either. I’ll see you in there, okay?” 

Eleven wrinkled their nose, but nodded, as the bathhouse man— Erik was _not_ going to learn his name— dragged Erik away. Sure, it was the first time they were separated since they met in Heliodor’s dungeons, but Eleven couldn’t get into _that_ much trouble on their own, could they?

\-----

Jasper hated festivals. He especially hated whatever whirlwind of light and sound had descended on the city of Gallopolis, made worse by the knowledge that it would only get bigger and louder as the city drew closer to the day of the Sand National. If Jasper were a wiser man, he would have left long ago, but, after bribing a hapless information broker, he’d found out about the branch of Yggdrasil owned by the royal family. Whichever fiend had possessed his king wanted the Sword of Light, and Jasper would die before a tool to find it fell into his hands.

The sultan would not give a precious royal treasure to just anybody, though. Fortunately enough for Jasper, he still had his copy of the Heliodorian seal, and word of his supposed death— he’d have to thank Hendrik for that cover story if he ever saw him again— had yet to reach the kingdom of Gallopolis. He knew the handwriting of his king well enough to forge it, even if the thought made him cringe, and with any luck, he’d be out of Gallopolis with the Rainbough before any of them knew any better.

Deeming the ink to finally be dry, Jasper rolled up the letter and dropped a glob of red wax on it to seal it. He pressed the seal into the wax, holding it there until the image could come out clearly. With the letter done, he donned his formal armor. He’d managed to secure an audience for that afternoon, and even though his armor was near to roasting him in the Gallopolis heat, it would be worth it once he held the Rainbough in his hands.

Setting his shoulders back proudly, Jasper made his way out of the inn and up to the front gates of the palace. The guards there nodded to him politely before leading him through the doors to the throne room, where the sultan sat alone.

“Pardon me for the intrusion, Your Royal Highness,” Jasper said, kneeling on the tile before him. “I hope all is well in your kingdom.”

“Ahh, Sir Jasper! Please, rise! I hope you have been enjoying the festivities?”

Jasper rose to his feet. “Indeed I have. They are quite impressive, as to be expected from a prosperous kingdom such as your own.”

“I am glad. Now, my good sir, what business brings you here?”

“His Majesty, King Carnelian of Heliodor, sent me here to inquire after an artifact you have in your collection.” Jasper held out the letter, and a servant scuttled up to take it from him and bring it to the throne. “The letter he provided should contain further details, but Heliodor is in need of the Rainbough you hold. Of course, after the need has passed, it shall be returned to your kingdom safely.”

The man frowned. “My apologies, Sir Jasper, but I cannot provide Heliodor with the Rainbough. It is no longer in the possession of Gallopolis, but sol— stolen. The thief outclassed the guards tasked to chase him down, but they recognized his path as the one towards Gondolia.”

Jasper’s eyebrow twitched. “Stolen, you say?” If the sultan was going to lie to him, he could have at least had the decency to lie better. Still, he could understand that the man wanted to save face for relations with Heliodor. “What a shame. I shall pursue the thief to Gondolia, and after I recover the Rainbough, I will return it to Gallopolis when Heliodor is finished with it. Are those agreeable terms for you, Your Royal Highness?”

“They are. You have my thanks, Sir Jasper. May Yggdrasil bless your journey.”

“May Yggdrasil bless you as well.” Jasper bowed and turned away, making his way out of the throne room. If he left that night, he would be able to get to Gondolia in less than a week’s time. He would be faster still if he rented a horse, and Gallopolis was known for its fast horses.

Mind made up, he changed his path from the inn to the stables, nearly running into one of the performers in a black and white jester’s tunic. He brushed past with a muttered apology, but the jester grabbed his arm.

“That’s the Heliodorian crest, isn’t it, honey?” the jester asked, a smug grin crossing their face. 

Jasper scowled. “Perhaps it is. What of it?”

“Oh, don’t give me that sour look,” the jester chided. “You look like a knight, that’s all, and I happen to be wondering about an old friend of mine. His name is Hendrik. Do you know of him?”

With a scoff, Jasper shook off their grip. “The man is as foolish and dense as always. That is all I know of him anymore.”

The jester glared after him as he walked off, but Jasper ignored them. He had a mission and a lead. He would not fail his kingdom again.

\-----

Erik and Eleven were trouble, and Veronica knew it. As sweet and soft-hearted as Eleven had seemed— Veronica had seen them stopping to pet every animal in Hotto, and when she caught them in the act, all they’d done was _smile_ — they drew in trouble like flies to honey. Erik was a whole other brand of problem child all on his own, one that Eleven did nothing to discourage. Not to mention, the two of them were a force to be reckoned with in battle, attacks flowing into each other with a strange grace. 

Yet they’d been traveling together for less than a month, according to Erik.

That was another thing. Eleven hadn’t spoken to her or Serena once on their journey from the Hotto Steppe to the Gallopolis desert, instead letting Erik tell their tale and translate their meaningful looks. The only time she’d even heard their voice was late at night, when they’d thought she was asleep— with Serena snoring beside her— and began telling a story from their home village to Erik. If it weren’t for them greeting her with a silent smile in the mornings, she would have thought they were snubbing her.

(They hadn’t even found the voice to tell her and Serena they weren’t a boy— not that she could blame them, given how much people loved assumptions— she’d had to extrapolate from the way they flinched when she referred to them as such, as well as Erik’s _very_ accusatory glares. How Erik _knew_ when the elders of Arboria didn’t, she had no idea, but she was willing to give him a pass since he’d done such a good job of protecting Eleven before she and Serena found them.)

And there they were, across the campfire, Eleven working on a piece on the Fun-Sized Forge as Erik offered up lazy critiques from where he lounged on a rolled-up bedroll. If Veronica were the one on the receiving end, she would have tossed a Frizz his way over an hour ago, but Eleven endured it all with smiles that veered dangerously close to affectionate. Serena thought it was sweet, apparently, but it just made Veronica want to hurl. She’d signed up to protect the Luminary, not to deal with whatever sappy emotion stuff they’d gotten themself into.

Eleven finished their project with a flourish, then stepped away from the forge and wiped the sweat off their brow. Erik got up from his spot, moseying— Veronica snorted to herself as she remembered his “mosey on over to Yggdrasil” comment— over to the forge to examine Eleven’s work. They lifted the dagger up for his inspection, and he grinned as he tested the edge with his thumb.

“You’re getting better,” he told them, taking the weapon and tucking it into his sash. “You’ll be a master smith in no time at all if you keep up this pace.”

Eleven ducked their head, but Veronica caught the red tint on their cheeks. Ugh. From beside her, Serena cooed, quietly enough that it wouldn’t disrupt whatever moment the two had going on.

Veronica had no such qualms. “Get a room!” she called out.

Erik and Eleven leapt apart, and Erik’s foot caught on his bedroll and sent him falling flat on his ass. He scowled at Veronica, who could do nothing but cackle.

“You’re a demon child,” he accused as he untangled himself.

Oh, that was it. Veronica jumped to her feet, her hands sparking. “Call me that one more time and I’ll show you who’s the child here.”

“I’ve faced sabrecubs scarier than you,” Erik taunted. 

She lobbed a fireball over his head, and he ducked, curses spilling from his mouth.

“That’s enough,” Serena said as she stepped between them, though Veronica could tell from the way her eyes crinkled that she was holding back a laugh. “Let’s save fireballs for the monsters, why don’t we?”

“Yeah, monsters like him,” Veronica scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. From the corner of her vision, she saw Erik cringe, and her annoyance dissolved. She’d have to keep that sore spot in mind, so it didn’t slip into any of her future insults. “Truce, spiky?”

Erik frowned, but with an encouraging pat on the back from Eleven, he scuffed his shoe on the ground and nodded. “Truce.”

Serena beamed and clapped her hands. “Well, with that settled, how about we sit down and have some dinner? You must be starving after all that forging, Eleven. I hope you don’t mind that I used some of the spices you had in your bag.”

Eleven smiled and shook their head, sitting down on one of the logs by the fire.

“That’s a relief.” Serena ladled stew into a bowl and held it out towards them. “I’m sure it’s not quite as good as what you usually make, but I certainly did my best.”

“I’m… sure it’s wonderful,” Eleven said, their voice soft and hoarse.

“Oh!” Serena startled, and the bowl fell into Eleven’s lap, splattering stew all over them. “Oh, oh no, I’m so sorry! I’ll get you another bowl, and do you have any clothes to change into?”

As Serena continued to fuss over them, Eleven shrank into themself, their shoulders nearly drawn up to their ears.

“Oi, stop freaking out!” Veronica moved to start serving herself. “They were gonna have to wash their clothes anyway, from standing over a hot forge all night. I certainly wouldn’t have agreed to pack up until they cleaned up.” She looked to Eleven. “Go wash up, I’ll keep a serving warm for you. I’m sure you’d be more comfortable eating while you’re clean, anyway.”

Eleven shot her a grateful look and slipped out from under Serena’s hovering. Once they had grabbed their pack and were out of view, Veronica brandished the ladle at Serena. 

“Give them space. They’re clearly not comfortable around us yet, and if you freak out every time they talk, they’ll never say anything.” Serena nodded, and Veronica whipped around to Erik. “And you. I don’t know what the deal is with you and them, but I don’t need to see it.” 

Erik scowled. “There’s nothing going on with us.”

“Really?” Veronica scoffed. “Then you need to get your act together. It’s pathetic to watch.”

He glared and sputtered, but ultimately said nothing. Luckily, he didn’t posture for long, instead slinking up to the pot to grab his serving. Good. Veronica did not have the patience for machismo any night, let alone this one. Still, she had a good feeling about the little group they’d carved out. They’d be making their way to Yggdrasil in no time at all, and she had no doubt they could handle whatever trials laid ahead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... Veronica loves her italics.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! Feel free to comment, I love hearing from you, and I am *always* up for discussing DQXI.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content warnings: mild dissociation/panic attack (not very descriptive, but still there), mentions of death and accepting one's own death (brief)

Gallopolis mid-festival was loud and flashy and crowded, and Eleven could not wait to get _out_. Of course, none of their companions shared their opinion. Serena had wandered off somewhere after the evening meeting with Prince Faris, and Veronica soon followed. Judging from the shine that had been in Serena’s eyes when the Great Sylvando had come onstage, Eleven knew where she was going. At least everyone else could enjoy themselves, even if Eleven couldn’t.

“El? Are you alright?”

Eleven blinked up at Erik, who was leaning against the wall across from them. Ever since Veronica teased the two of them at the campsite, Erik had been keeping a careful distance, yet never strayed far from their side. Eleven hated it, but they couldn’t find the words to ask him to return to the way things were before.

Erik stared at them, and Eleven realized he was waiting for a response. 

“I’m just, uh, nervous for tomorrow.”

“Right.” Erik raised a brow, and Eleven knew he hadn’t believed them. “You’ll do fine. All you have to do is not fall off your horse, and you’ll already be better than that Prince Faris guy.”

Eleven smiled weakly. “Thanks.”

“You got it.” Erik shrugged. “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow. Don’t stay up too late.” 

And with that, he was gone. Curse Prince Faris for arranging separate rooms. Eleven had gotten used to sleeping with Erik keeping watch at their back far too quickly, and even though the inn was infinitely more secure than an open campsite, Eleven couldn’t help but long for that sense of safety.

Still, they managed to get to sleep at some point, and woke to the sun streaming in through their window.

The morning went by in a blur, with Eleven taking second in the horse race only to the rider named Sylv. Everything was going to plan, until Sylv stepped into the dressing rooms.

“All hail Prince Faris!” the jester called, their eyes glinting with something approaching mischief. “Pride of the desert! Horseman extraordinaire! Darling, you were fabulous! It was enough to bring a tear even to my jaded eye!”

Eleven stiffened, turning in time with Faris to face the entrance.

Sylv covered their mouth with a comically fake gasp, though Eleven certainly wasn’t laughing. “Wait— Don’t tell me you were—? Surely you didn’t let your understudy take the stage for the command performance? Oh, this is too, too good!”

Prince Faris was quick to retort, but his words seemed to come from underwater. 

Oh. It had been a while since the last time Eleven’s senses had shut down like this, but the sensation was all too familiar. If only they were back at home. Gemma would let them sit with Sandy, and Amber would make stew and hot cider. Once the meal was made, she would sit down next to them and wrap both them and the dog up in a blanket, speaking soft words until they could feel their hands enough to eat. The stew never tasted quite right while they were away from themself, but it was better than the ashes that settled on their tongue when they stepped into Cobblestone only to see the place gone up in flames, with blood splattered over the flowers of their mother’s garden, and they were there again, watching the embers still smoldering, and it was their fault, their fault, _their fault_ —

“El?”

_They were Darkspawn, they were a demon, they never should have left Cobblestone, none of this would have happened if they’d just stayed home and taken the trek up the Tor as their taste of adventure, or if they had looked King Carnelian in the face and lied, said they were from Heliodor City, let themself be executed, not doomed their home and their family and they would **never see their family again**_ —

“El!”

The world snapped back to them in a rush, leaving them gasping for a breath they hadn’t even known they’d needed. Their vision was still blurry at the edges, something beyond the pane of reality, but in front of them was Erik, hovering just too far away to touch.

“El.” Erik’s worried look melted into something resembling relief. “You back with me? We’re wanted in—”

Eleven lunged forward to grab Erik by the front of his tunic, their fingers tingling with the sensation of fabric against their skin. They pulled him closer, crushing their hand between their chests as they threw their free arm around him.

“Whoa, okay.” Erik wrapped his arms around them gingerly. “Yeah, we can take a moment here, I guess. No rush, just a spoiled prince waiting on us.”

After a long, long moment, Eleven pulled away. “Where are we going?” they asked, cringing as their voice broke.

“Apparently Faris wants us to meet him in the throne room. Then we can get the Rainbough and get out of here.” Erik offered up a faint grin. “You got through the hard part, so the rest should be a breeze.”

“Yeah.” Eleven couldn’t help but smile in return. “A breeze.”

\-----

As it turned out, the universe had a different definition of “a breeze” than Erik did. Though the Slayer of the Sands was down for good, and their group had gained another member, the rest of their stay in Gallopolis was anything but easy. Erik would have been relieved to be in Gondolia, on the way to finally, _actually_ getting the Rainbough, but he couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched. It wasn’t the merchants trying to flag their group down, he knew that much— though he still resented them for managing to tempt El into checking each and every stall for materials and spices— but each time he looked over his shoulder or into shady alleys, he saw nothing.

It made no sense. With the Signor Universo competition going on, there were dozens of men milling about who were far better eye candy than Erik. The only reason for someone to be watching him would be if they were watching him because he was with El, and _that_ certainly set his hackles raising. 

While El continued browsing the stalls on the way to the Doge’s house, Erik dropped back a little, pretending to take interest in a flowerbed at the side of the street. If their shadow was after El, they’d have to get through him first.

A hand wrapped around his arm, tight as a vise, and yanked him into a nearby alleyway.

“Hey! What do you think—” 

Before he could even finish his sentence, another hand clamped over his mouth, and he found himself staring into the calculating yellow eyes of none other than Jasper. His blood went cold. The man who slaughtered the people of Cobblestone would doubtlessly have no qualms about killing a common thief like him.

Still, he wasn’t going to go down without a fight. With a jerk, he bit down on Jasper’s hand, which was unprotected without the gauntlets of his usual armor. 

Jasper cursed, but clamped down harder on Erik’s jaw. “Sit still for a moment, why don’t you, you heathen, instead of biting me like some mangy mutt? I’m not here to harm you, I simply wish to have a conversation. Nod if you understand and I will release you.”

Reluctantly, Erik nodded. Jasper let go, and Erik stumbled to the other side of the alley and pressed his back against the wall.

“Talk,” he demanded, whipping out his dagger. “If I don’t like what you have to say, I’ll scream, and the rest of ‘em will come running.”

Jasper’s eyes narrowed. “How many of you are there?”

“Shouldn’t you know that, since you followed us here?”

“I didn’t—!” Jasper broke off with a huff. He closed his eyes for a moment, and Erik considered taking the chance to slip away, but before he could follow through with it, Jasper’s eyes opened again. “I have been in Gondolia for several days now, following a lead. I was unaware the Luminary still lived, and I have no interest in harming him or any of the rest of you.”

Indignation flared in Erik on El’s behalf, even though Jasper had no reasonable way of knowing what he’d said wrong. “ _They_ are still alive, yeah, and forgive me if I don’t believe you after what you’ve done.”

Jasper cringed, his haughty mask breaking. It took less than a second for him to recollect himself. “Yes, well, your hesitation is understandable. I am well aware of how it looks from the outside. However, I can promise you that I did not harm a single one of Cobblestone’s citizens.”

“Oh, so you know the name of the place you burned to the ground? Good for you.” Erik scoffed. “Give me one reason I should believe you.”

Jasper rolled up the sleeves of his shirt, revealing arms wrapped in bandages. He unraveled one, and underneath was a cut far too clean to be from a swordfight. “The only blood lost on Cobblestone’s soil that day was mine. Despite the rumors about me, I am not one to kill innocents, nor can I continue to serve a king who would order me to do so.”

Erik glanced towards the entrance of the alleyway, then back to Jasper. Despite the man’s… offputting smugness, his last statement seemed as earnest as he was capable of. “It’s not really my place to forgive you,” he pointed out.

“I assume that is a task you will leave to your Luminary?” Jasper straightened up, rewrapping the cut. “I will gladly explain my situation to them, if you will allow it. Quite frankly, they could benefit from my assistance. Though Heliodor believes me to be dead, I still hold quite a bit of sway in the places word has yet to reach.”

“If you try to hurt them, I will gut you,” Erik warned.

“Understood.”

“Good. Then stay here, and I’ll bring El.” Erik’s brain screamed at him to not trust Jasper, but his gut told him otherwise, and Erik wouldn’t have been much of a thief if he didn’t know when to follow his gut.

He slipped back out of the alley, spotting El leaned over an array of exotic herbs. After glancing back to make sure Jasper wasn’t following, he sidled up to them.

“Okay, this is going to sound really weird, but hear me out.”

El tilted their head at him, and he took that as a cue to continue.

“Jasper’s here, in Gondolia.” Erik noticed the way they stiffened, and hurried to finish before they worked themself into a panic. “He stopped me to talk to me, and he says that he didn’t actually hurt anyone in Cobblestone. I don’t know whether he’s telling the truth, and it’s up to you whether you want to talk to him, but I thought you deserved to know.”

By the time he finished, El’s brows were pulled together in thought. Finally, they nodded.

“Right. Okay. I’ll show you to him. I didn’t see any weapons on him, but we should be on guard.” He whirled around and started back towards the alleyway, and El’s footsteps started up behind him.

Jasper was right where he left him, leaning against the wall. El stopped in their tracks. Erik moved slightly in front of them, fixing Jasper with a warning glare. 

“Luminary,” Jasper greeted them, ignoring Erik in favor of bowing his head towards El. “I must apologize for the actions of my king and kingdom.” His lips curled down in displeasure. “Or, I suppose I should say, my former kingdom. I understand what you must think of me, given the way I left your village, but I swear to you, that was a ruse.”

El frowned, their arms crossed over their chest. When Jasper stopped to look at them, they gestured for him to go on.

“Despite how it looked, I swear to you that the citizens of Cobblestone were alive and well when I left them. The only blood spilled that day was mine.” He pulled up his sleeve and unwrapped the bandage once more. “My king ordered me to eliminate the village, and I knew that if I did not craft a convincing enough scene, he would find another, more loyal servant to carry out his orders. So I sent the villagers out, set the buildings on fire, and commandeered my own arms and a number of animal carcasses to achieve the proper effect.”

Erik ached to ease the furrow in El’s brow and the scowl on their face, but he knew it wasn’t his place to do so. Not yet.

Jasper choked out his next words as though they pained him to say. “I… am deeply sorry for any pain I caused you, Luminary. I will admit that I was unaware you still lived, but now that I have this knowledge, I wish to repent by joining you on your quest.”

“What?” Erik blurted. Sure, Jasper had said he could provide assistance, but join them? That was a whole different matter.

El’s frown only deepened. Finally, they nodded.

“El!” Erik hissed, grabbing their arm. “Are you serious? Even if he’s telling the truth, how do you know he’s not going to just turn around and stab us in the back?” He was well aware of the hypocrisy of his statement, but he had no doubt that anything Jasper could come up with was far worse than what Erik was meant to do.

El’s gaze flickered between the two of them before they nodded again. Erik scowled, but released them. “I’ll be keeping an eye on you,” he warned Jasper.

“I wouldn’t expect anything less from the Luminary’s right-hand man,” Jasper replied. He bowed once more to El. “You have my gratitude, Luminary.”

“Their _name_ is Eleven.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Jasper drawled. “Now, lead on.”

\-----

The child was staring at him, _again_. If Jasper had any less patience, he would have snapped at him a dozen times over while waiting for the group to return from the Grotta della Fonte. Apparently, though the Luminary planned to let him join their little group, they did not trust him to fight beside them in battle just yet. As annoyed as he was, Jasper could not blame them. So he stood guard over the two children, feeling his jaw tic with each minute that passed without the return of the Luminary.

Finally, the boisterous voices of the Luminary’s companions floated to him over the heads of the crowd. He stood up straighter, watching through narrowed eyes as Sylv— and it was just his luck that the infuriating jester he’d run into in Gallopolis had managed to secure a spot at the Luminary’s side— shooed away the Luminary and their right-hand man.

“Come along now,” he said to the children, his voice clipped. Without waiting to see if they followed, he began pushing through the crowd, hand tight on the hilt of his blade.

Serena brightened when she spotted him, waving the hand not holding the flask of what must have been the birdsong nectar needed to restore the boy’s voice. “Hello, Jasper! Is everything alright? You’re looking rather upset.”

Of the group, Serena was easily the most tolerable, though Jasper would never be able to comprehend how she had enough patience to deal with everyone else. Still, she appeared to have as small of a self-preservation instinct as the rest of her friends.

“I was under the impression that the five of you were on the run from Heliodor’s knights.” Jasper flexed his fingers on the hilt of his sword. “So why, exactly, did you send the Luminary into the most crowded place in town with only one companion? If I managed to find you while I was not even searching, there is no doubt that the Heliodorian army could track you here.”

“They’ll be fine,” the tiny mage— Veronica, but she got so delightfully annoyed when Jasper referred to her size— snapped. “Honestly! You’re just as uptight as Erik.”

If Jasper were of the type to roll his eyes, he certainly would have. Instead, he pivoted to face towards where the competition was taking place. “Very well. I shall just have to accompany them myself.” Without waiting for a response, he strode off towards the docks.

Before he could even begin to look for the Luminary, he heard a dreadfully familiar voice boom from the stage.

“People of Gondolia! By order of His Majesty, King Carnelian, I am here to apprehend the Darkspawn, the villain who brought about the destruction of Dundrasil!” 

Jasper cursed and frantically tucked his ponytail into the back of his cloak, pulling the hood up over his head. He managed to slip into the main area of the docks just as Hendrik’s soldiers moved to block off the exits. If Yggdrasil had any mercy, he would have been the only one to be trapped there, but even that slim hope was shot down when he spotted the Luminary near the base of the stage. And of course, because luck could never be on Jasper’s side, Hendrik had already spotted them.

His old friend’s gaze was cold, nothing but hatred and determination in his eyes. Whatever lies the fiend had been whispering in his ear were clearly working, though Jasper could only pray that Hendrik hadn’t accepted a deal like the one the fiend had approached Jasper with so many years ago.

“Surrender now, and I will let your companions leave peacefully,” Hendrik offered. “Otherwise I shall have to charge them with the same crimes as your own.”

The Luminary drew their sword, sunlight flashing across the blade, and Hendrik’s men closed in.

Jasper had to admit that they put up a good fight, but they didn’t stand a chance against the sheer number of soldiers on the docks. For each one they knocked down, two more joined the fray, steady as the lines of toy soldiers he and Hendrik once played with as children. Well, they had long since graduated from such harmless trinkets, and it would do him no good to dwell on it.

He inched closer to the action, watching closely for his opportunity.

Finally, the Luminary faltered, and Hendrik held up a hand to halt his troops. “I shall give you one more chance, Darkspawn. Yield, and I will allow anyone who abetted you their freedom.”

“Yield? I don’t _think_ so, honey!”

All of the heads on the docks swiveled to the new voice. There they were, Sylv, flanked by the mismatched twins. The sun at their back painted them a striking figure, a vengeful god prepared to rain judgement down on their foes. Perhaps the infuriating jester was good for something.

“You leave my friends alone, or I’m going to have to teach you a lesson!”

“Yeah!” Veronica shouted, pounding her fist into her hand. “...Honey!”

Jasper stifled a laugh. The Luminary’s allies certainly had _some_ sort of flair for the dramatic. He suspected that most of it came from Sylv. 

“Very well,” Hendrik replied. “I suppose we must do this the hard way.” He drew his sword and advanced.

Serena popped up in another corner of the docks, gesturing at Erik and the Luminary. Clearly she hadn’t spotted Jasper, but no matter. He began to turn away, prepared to slip out in the pandemonium of Sylv’s dramatic entrance.

A glint from up above caught his eye, then the flash of an arrow, speeding towards the Luminary’s unguarded back.

Jasper was too far away to defend them, but he wasn’t the only one who had seen the archer.

“Look out!” Erik screamed, throwing himself in the way of the arrow. It sank into his flesh, and he tumbled to the ground.

“Erik! No!” Serena jerked forward, a healing spell on her fingertips, but she was too far away.

“What are you doing?” Erik waved her off. “I bought you some time— use it! Get out of here, now!”

And they did. 

From the corner of his eye, Jasper saw Hendrik advancing as the rest of his soldiers scattered to search for the Luminary. The Hendrik he knew wasn’t the type to kill someone without trial, but seeing the fury in his eyes, Jasper had never doubted something so much as in that moment. Before he even knew what he was doing, he lunged in between Hendrik and Erik, flames flickering at his fingertips.

“Who are you?” Hendrik demanded. “Another one of those corrupted by the Darkspawn?”

Jasper smiled grimly. “You forget me so easily, old friend?” With his other hand, he drew back his hood. “The Luminary and their companions are under my protection now, and I think you’ll find I’m not so simple a foe.”

Hendrik’s face went slack, his sword dropping just the slightest bit. “Jasper…”

“I had hoped our reunion would see us both serving the same purpose once more, but I’m afraid that’s not in the cards for us. Now, I suggest you call off your soldiers and retreat to Heliodor, before I show you my true capabilities.”

“You are no longer in your right mind, my friend.” Hendrik’s face hardened, and he hefted his sword once more. “I wish it did not have to come to this, but whatever devilry the Darkspawn has planted in you to make you turn away from the light, I shall excise with my blade.”

“Believe what you will,” Jasper replied, drawing his own sword and allowing dark tendrils to extinguish the fire in his hand. “But as long as I still draw breath, you will not lay a hand on the Luminary.”

“If that is what must be, then I will do whatever it takes to bring Heliodorian justice down on your heads.” Then there was no more time for talking.

Hendrik had always been the better swordfighter of the two of them, but Jasper would not— could not— go down without a fight. All he needed to do was buy enough time for the Luminary and the rest of their friends to escape. There was no doubt that he and Erik, if they survived long enough, would be brought before a court and found guilty, and that would be the end for them.

Hendrik’s sword cleaved past his defenses and tore into his side, his chainmail splitting open under the heavy blade as if crafted from clay. Jasper gritted his teeth and set his hand aflame, driving it up and towards Hendrik’s face. 

Before he could make contact, Hendrik reared back, providing Jasper with just enough space to breathe. He centered himself again. When Hendrik’s next attack came, he was ready. Using Hendrik’s momentum against him, Jasper deflected the blade and struck him hard enough with the pommel of his sword to dent his chestplate. 

“It’s now or never, my loves! Time to enter from stage right and save the day!”

...What? 

Jasper snuck a look to the right as Hendrik stumbled backwards. Sure enough, the Luminary and the rest of their allies rushed in to stand between Hendrik and Jasper, the damned fools. Of course they wouldn’t leave Erik behind, no matter how poor of a strategic decision their little rescue mission was.

Despite their showmanship, Sylv’s smile was tight on their face. Right, back in Gallopolis, they’d asked after Hendrik. Jasper doubted they’d ever intended to end up on the other side of battle from him, but some things couldn’t be helped. He supposed that was one thing they had in common.

Against all odds, the group managed to knock Hendrik down, but on his signal, his soldiers returned.

Sylv’s smile turned grim. “Alright, this is gonna seem crazy, but just trust me, okay?” They scooped up Erik against his protests and rushed off the docks, slipping past the soldiers closing in.

Hendrik chuckled darkly. “I see your companions are not so faithful as they would appear, Darkspawn.” He stood, raising his sword. “Once more, I suggest you surrender.”

“Fat chance!” Veronica snapped, brandishing her wand at him.

Jasper stepped forward to stand beside the Luminary. “Hear my vow, Luminary, under Yggdrasil’s grace. I will fight for your cause until my dying breath. Though I have done many wrongs, this will not be one of them.”

Surprise flickered across the Luminary’s expression, before their face hardened. Nodding tersely, they settled back into their battle stance, and Jasper braced himself beside them.

“Sir Hendrik! Look!” one of the soldiers cried out, pointing towards the open water. 

“Yoo-hoo!” Sylv waved at them, nearly their entire torso hanging off the bow of an enormous ship. “How’s that for a dramatic entrance, eh?”

Jasper could not help it. Despite the pain in his side, he began to laugh. For the first time in his life, he had won against Hendrik, even if it took the assistance of an entire bunch of ragtag wanna-be heroes for him to achieve it. 

“All aboard!” Sylv called out, and Jasper’s new companions ushered him onto the ship even as his fit continued. “Ciao for now, Hendrik! Bet you didn’t see that ending coming! Ooh, I do love a twist!”

And with that, they were off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you for reading! I don't have too much to say about this chapter, since I wrote it a while ago, but I hope you enjoyed! I'm excited for Jasper's dynamics with the rest of the party, since I've had a lot of fun writing him. Lots of exciting things in store for him and everyone else!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm posting this chapter a day early because I am very tired and stressed and for some reason seeing a new chapter go up makes my brain get that little ping of happiness I need to push through the last stretch of my week, so I hope you all enjoy!
> 
> Coming up (I've realized that I've definitely been slacking on chapter summaries because post button go brrrr, but may as well start now): the aftermath of Gondolia, plus fighting tournament fun in Octagonia!
> 
> Content warnings for this chapter: none as far as I know, but let me know if I missed one that I should add.

Erik grimaced as Serena pulled the arrow from his hip, the warm sensation of her healing magic washing over him to numb the pain. Above deck, El, Sylv, and Veronica were talking to the Doge, who had caught up to their ship with ease before they could even leave port. In the cot across the room, Jasper was busy plucking scraps of metal from the wound in his side so that Serena could heal it cleanly. Erik didn’t envy him.

Still, Jasper had stepped in to save him when things went south, even fighting his ex-brother-in-arms to protect him. Maybe it was a ploy to gain their trust to later stab them in the back, but there were many far better ways to do so that didn’t involve risking his own neck. If Erik had used a bit more thought before he had moved, maybe he wouldn’t have taken the arrow for El. No one would have blamed him for it. 

That left a sour taste in his mouth. El was all that was good and kind and _alive_ , and the thought of the life draining from their eyes as their blood soaked the docks of Gondolia made him feel sick to his stomach. It would have to happen eventually, and the fact that their death would be at his hands only made his nausea worse.

Serena moved on to Jasper, and El and Veronica came down below deck. Veronica remained in the doorway, her hands on her hips. El drifted over to Erik’s side, sitting on the chair beside his cot. Their face was drawn tight, but before Erik could ask, Serena spoke up.

“What did Doge Rotondo have to say?” she asked, not looking up from her examination of Jasper’s wound.

“He wanted to thank us for helping Placido with his voice, and Placido told us how he lost it in the first place.” Her eyes narrowed on Jasper, and though the man was already pale from blood loss, Erik could have sworn his face turned another shade lighter. “Specifically, he said that there was a monster outside town, casting a spell using a knight’s emblem. When the thing spotted him, it asked after a Sir Jasper, then cursed his voice away so he couldn’t tell anyone. Care to explain?”

Jasper struggled to sit up, despite Serena trying to keep him down. “I would, actually. On the day that I burned down Cobblestone, I left Heliodor for good, and I left my emblem behind for Hendrik.” His face went carefully impassive. “I did not ask him to fake my death, but I suppose that was the simplest way to explain away my absence. I believe he intended for me to go live out the rest of my days somewhere peacefully, but after seeing what Heliodor has become, I cannot.”

Erik frowned. “What made you decide to leave?”

“The king of Heliodor is…” Jasper looked away. “He is no longer himself. I could not serve him any longer.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Veronica demanded, marching up to his bedside. “You can’t just say something vague like that and not explain!”

“I do not know what’s going on,” Jasper admitted, his face pulling into a scowl. “I have my suspicions, but I cannot prove them.”

Serena leaned over to cast healing magic over his side, disapproval written on her face. “And what are your suspicions, Sir Jasper?”

Jasper glared at her. “I am no longer a knight, Serena. There is no need to address me as such. As for my suspicions… Those, I cannot say just yet. Not until I know what is true. Though I serve him no longer, I will not besmirch my king’s name with unfounded conjecture.”

Veronica huffed. “Fine! Keep your secrets, then!” She turned around and stormed back up the stairs.

Erik grimaced. “Sorry ‘bout that. Veronica just gets like that sometimes. She doesn’t really mean any offense.”

“None was taken,” Jasper replied, and turned away from the rest of the room.

Right. Erik resisted the urge to roll his eyes, instead looking to El. “You alright?” 

Their eyebrows furrowed, but they nodded. For a few minutes, they sat there in silence, before Serena moved back to Erik’s bedside.

“I’m afraid you’ll have to leave for the night, El,” she told them. “Erik and Si— and Jasper need their rest.”

El nodded once more, patting Erik on the shoulder before standing. The lost look remained on their face, but they were gone before Erik could say anything more.

\-----

Scrubbing dishes perhaps was not the most knightly of duties, but Jasper was no longer a knight. Besides, he knew as well as anyone that the best place to overhear gossip was in the kitchen, and the familiarity of it was exactly what he needed if he was to be traveling without a single friendly face around. He was not yet ready to try to ingratiate himself with the party in the face of their well-placed skepticism, especially after he had refused to tell them his suspicions about His Majesty.

Jasper’s hands clenched on the dish he held. How could he return to Heliodor, after not just running away, but facing off against Hendrik himself? What he was fighting for was right and just, he knew that much, but that did not change the fact that he was a traitor to the crown. Hendrik had always berated him for his lack of devotion, but Jasper did not have the same capability for blind loyalty as his childhood friend. He could not serve an imposter to the crown, no matter how prettily the fiend lied. If he had to lose the only home he had ever loved in order to protect it, so be it. 

Yggdrasil have mercy, he would be remembered. Whether it would be as a traitor or a hero, he did not know.

Footsteps echoed in the hallway, and Jasper continued washing. The cook had left a while ago, but perhaps he was coming back to pick up something he forgot, and Jasper would not be caught slacking.

The head that poked around the corner was not that of the cook, but of the Luminary. Eleven, Jasper reminded himself.

When they spotted him, they grimaced. So they were not there to talk to him. Unsurprising, given that he had yet to hear them say a word.

“I am the only one here,” Jasper told them, turning his head to look away from them. “If you are looking for one of your companions, they are not here, but if you have business here, do not let me get in your way.”

There was silence, then the clank of a pot, the gurgle of oil, and the soft snap of a mild fire spell. When Jasper looked at them again, they were gently placing cubes of floured meat in the bottom of a large pot, the fire blazing merrily beneath it.

Jasper set aside the clean plate and wiped his hands on a nearby cloth. “Do you require assistance?” he asked slowly. 

Eleven gave him a skeptical look, and he met their gaze evenly.

“I am not a skilled cook, but I can peel and slice vegetables, or stir the pot while you are occupied with other things.” Jasper was not sure why he was so intent on getting them to agree, but it was not a challenge he intended to lose.

Finally, Eleven broke their standstill, dragging out a bag of potatoes. They pulled out two of the largest and set them out, gesturing at the paring knife. Jasper took the cue for what it was and set about peeling them, as Eleven bustled around the kitchen behind him. Once that task was finished, Eleven set a bundle of carrots in front of him and swept away with the potatoes.

By the time all of the vegetables were sliced and set aside, the smell of simmering meat hung in the air. Eleven set a lid on the pot, any displeasure on their face long gone. They pulled up a pair of chairs, perching on one of them and gesturing towards the other.

Jasper sat. Eleven looked at him expectantly. Perhaps they wished for him to speak? It was doubtful they wanted to speak of their quest, since they heard more than enough about it during the daytime. Whatever bubble they had built for themself with their late-night cooking escapades, Jasper was not callous enough to try to break. There had to be a lighthearted story he knew, one which would keep the aura of contentment hovering over the kitchen intact.

“When I was a youth, before I began training as a junior knight, I spent a large portion of my time in the castle kitchens. The head cook, Mirya, was always kind to me. I was too young to learn how to handle knives and fire, but she allowed me to stay in there for hours, watching her work.” He leaned back in his seat. “She told me a great number of tales, some about ancient heroes, and some about the antics of her staff. By the time I was old enough to work beside her, I hardly had time. I rarely saw her beyond short visits, and a few years after I was knighted, she left.” It was shortly after the Fall of Dundrasil, but that was far too heavy a topic for the night. Mirya had twin sons, who moved to Dundrasil before its Fall, and the two died in the attack. Jasper had seen the grief weighing on her, but he could not work past his own emotions to comfort her. Perhaps she might have stayed, had Jasper been less selfish. She was the last breath of kindness in a castle that was once warm and welcoming, but even she had fled.

“Where did she go?” Eleven asked, their voice just rising above the simmering pot.

Jasper had not expected them to speak to him so soon, if at all, but he did not intend to scare them off by acknowledging his surprise. “She did not tell me.” He would not be shocked if she blamed him for her sons’ deaths. Some nights, he still blamed himself.

Eleven wrinkled their nose, but did not press. “I’ve been wondering about what you said at Gondolia.” They paused, their brows pulling together. “Why did you leave Heliodor? Why now?”

“I suppose if anyone deserves an answer to that question, it is you,” Jasper sighed. “Very well.” He reached up, flipping his bangs away from where they’d fallen in his face. “I was tired, and I have been tired for a long time, Luminary. My king is not himself. He has not been himself for many years now, perhaps as many as you have been alive. For some time, I allowed myself to hold on to empty ideals of following the crown instead of the man, but there comes a point when one can no longer live off of unfounded loyalty.

“Yet I stayed even beyond that point. I thought I might have been able to convince Hendrik of the truth, that Heliodor is doomed as long as an imposter remains on the throne, but I vastly underestimated his poor judgement. It was at Cobblestone that I realized the futility of my hope.” His chest seized, but he continued. “Time after time, the man continues to assume nothing but the worst of me. If he believes me to be a traitor and a danger to Heliodor, then that is what I shall be, no matter what my personal feelings are on the matter.” He cut himself off, looking away. “However, I must apologize once more, Luminary, for displacing your home and family.”

“No.” Eleven hesitated, but reached out to put a hand on his shoulder. “You saved them. Thank you.”

“What?” Jasper blinked, then barked out a laugh. “I have done nothing to deserve thanks.” He shrugged off their hand and stood. “It is my fault the village is in ruins. I am lauded as Heliodor’s greatest strategic mind, yet I could not even come up with a plan that would let them keep their homes!”

“And I was the one who told the king where I came from!” Eleven shot to their feet. “If I hadn’t said that, he would never have known where to send you!”

Jasper huffed. “He would have found out, whether you told him or not.”

Eleven glared at him, but turned away to skim broth from the top of the pot. As soon as they lifted the lid, a puff of fragrant steam floated out, filling the room with its rich, savory scent once more.

The tension melted from Jasper’s shoulders. Perhaps he had been too harsh.

“How long will it cook for?” An olive branch.

“Another hour, maybe, before we add the onions and carrots,” Eleven replied slowly, their expression softening. “Then ten minutes before the potatoes, and half an hour after that.”

“I see.” Jasper returned to his seat. “Tell me, what do you know of Erdwin and the Auroral serpent?”

“Nothing.” They covered the pot again and sat down. “What about them?”

“The serpent served the Dark One, long, long ago, spreading strife through the kingdom of Sniflheim. It was an enormous black serpentine dragon, with the ability to paralyze even the most hardened of soldiers where they stood. Desperate, the kingdom sent for Erdrea’s greatest hero, Erdwin…”

As the stew simmered cheerily beside them, Jasper wove Eleven one of the tales from his childhood. Perhaps, if Mirya saw what he had become, she would be proud.

\-----

Throughout the rest of the trip to Zwaardsrust, Erik never got the chance to catch El alone. Even after Serena deemed him well enough to be up and about, El was always with some other member of the group when he went to look for them. Though Erik was glad they were at least getting along with everyone else, he couldn’t shake the feeling that they were avoiding him.

Octagonia didn’t make it any better. Erik could see the way the crowds made them clam up and the way they flinched each time a barker called to them, but they were there on a mission. There was no time to stop, no matter how much Erik wanted to pull them aside into a quiet corner and just let them breathe.

And then there was the tournament. Serena and Veronica had opted out, but the best chance they had of winning the Rainbough was to enter as many people as possible. By some poor stroke of luck, he’d ended up paired with Jasper, and that was one less opportunity to win the whole thing.

Beside him in the waiting room, Jasper struggled with his mask, a simple gold domino with a white ribbon. Fed up, Erik stepped up to him. 

“Let me tie it. It wouldn’t be good if it came loose during the match.”

Jasper scowled, but handed the thing to Erik. Erik secured it to his face with a simple but sturdy knot before putting some distance between them. Even if Jasper was on their side, the man had a temper, and Erik would rather not bicker with him before they had to fight together.

“... You have my thanks,” Jasper said, and silence fell between them again.

A few minutes later, one of the officials stepped into the room. “You’re up,” she told them. “Good luck, Number Eight seems pretty fierce.”

“Right. Thanks.” Erik pushed off the wall and started towards the elevator, with Jasper following behind.

“If only we could see our opponents before the match,” Jasper murmured, his expression unusually contemplative without his typical arrogance present to mar it. “I have no doubt I could come up with a strategy to counter any of the contenders.”

“Yeah, but then they’d be able to see us, too,” Erik pointed out. “Plus, I’m sure the audience gets more of a kick out of seeing us fumble.”

“Perhaps.” Jasper huffed. “Quite a barbaric way of gleaning entertainment, is it not?”

Erik shrugged. “I dunno, I’ve seen worse.”

Jasper hmphed but said nothing more until the elevator doors opened, and the arena stretched out in front of them. “Your speed will be your greatest strength. I have not seen many warriors who can match you, but if we happen to face off against one in this round, I recommend you do not engage with them and instead take on their partner.”

“Got it.”

The two of them stepped out onto the battlefield, in time with their opponents across the ring. A tall, lithe woman and an old man, likely a spellcaster. Erik could handle the man, easily, and if the woman relied on martial arts, Jasper’s spells could hopefully keep her on her toes. They would do just fine.

Or at least, that’s what he thought, until Jasper stumbled. 

“Princess Jade?” Jasper gasped. Beneath the mask, his face had gone white as a sheet, his eyes blown wide as though he had just seen a ghost.

“Aaaaaaaand, fight!”

Jasper didn’t stand a chance in his shell-shocked state. The woman— Jade?— took him down with a few swift kicks, and with the assistance of her partner, she easily outclassed Erik as well.

Erik should have been furious, but as he walked with Jasper from the ring, all he could concentrate on was his haunted expression. There was a story there, and Erik was itching to hear it. First, though, they had to face Veronica’s fury.

“What was that?” she shrieked as the two of them approached the inn. El was already there beside the twins. “She wiped the floor with you! You should both be ashamed of yourselves, going out like that!”

“Shut up!” Erik hissed. He glanced at Jasper, whose color was slowly returning. “We did the best we could, okay? That woman’s not normal!”

“Pah! I’ve seen you fight!” Veronica turned and brandished her finger at Jasper. “And you! You looked like you were about to faint! Are you sure you weren’t just love-struck? Her flashing her legs around like that, well…”

“Do not,” Jasper said sharply. “That is not—”

Serena gasped. “It’s them!”

That was the only warning they got before another voice spoke. “Excuse me, lassie. Would ye mind standing aside?” And there, waiting to enter the inn, were Jasper and Erik’s opponents from the arena.

“Oh!” Veronica flushed and moved aside. “Yes, of course! Sorry…”

The two stepped past Veronica, but before they entered, the woman turned to El. “I’d keep a close eye on your partner if I were you.” 

Then they were gone, the swinging inn door the only sign that they’d ever been there. 

“Keep an eye on Vince?” Veronica whispered, her eyes darting between the door and El. “What could she mean by that?”

Like sabrecats with a hunk of meat, the group snatched up the new topic of conversation. 

“Perhaps it could have to do with the missing people we heard about,” Serena suggested. “Didn’t someone say that they were all competitors here?” She pursed her lips. “Could… Could Vince be in danger?”

“Missing people? That’s the first I’ve heard of it.” Even as he joined in, Erik couldn’t help but wonder about Jasper’s reaction to the mystery woman. Still, that would have to wait. They had more important things to worry about.

\-----

Rage burned in Jasper’s blood, but he hung back as he followed Vince through the caves under Octagonia. Though every muscle in Jasper’s body was screaming at him to intervene and free the princess from Vince’s clutches, he knew there was more to it. If he wanted to find out what was truly going on in Octagonia, he had to follow it through to the end.

Finally, they came across a larger cavern than the rest, coated in spiderwebs and with large, human-sized cocoons hanging down. Oh. Jasper fought down the wave of nausea that came with the realization that those cocoons almost certainly held the missing fighters.

“Hey!” Vince called out. “Brought you a fresh one!”

“Yesssss…” Climbing down from the ceiling came a gigantic spider, covered in old scars. “Oh, yesss… She’s perfect…”

Jasper’s hand went to his blade, and he stormed into the cavern. “Not so fast,” he snarled. “If you take one step closer to that monster, I will be forced to end you.”

As if on cue, the princess leapt out of Vince’s arms, kicking him in the face on the way out. She dashed to Jasper’s side, giving him a quick once-over. 

“I trust you can still fight, Sir Jasper? Sir Hendrik must have missed one when he cleared the monsters out of town all those years ago, but I’m sure you’ll be up to the task.”

Jasper nodded, drawing his sword. “Of course, Your Highness.” He could hardly believe he was standing beside the princess of Heliodor once more, alive and well after so many years. Still, he had a duty to attend to. Reminiscing could come later.

She scoffed. “Don’t call me that.”

Before they could attack, however, footsteps came from the passageway behind them. Jasper turned to see his companions rushing into the cave, accompanied by the old man who fought with the princess. 

“Nicely done, lassie!” the man called out, striding up to stand beside them.

Erik fell into step beside Jasper, raising a brow at him. “So this is where you went, huh? You know you’re gonna have to not rush around everywhere on your own if you’re gonna be part of the team, right?”

“I suppose,” Jasper replied haughtily, turning his head to hide his smile. “Very well. You had better not slow me down.”

Apparently, his companions were too polite to interrupt Vince’s sob story about consorting with a monstrous spider to keep Octagonia’s orphanage open. Despite itching to fight, Jasper hung back with them until the man collapsed on the ground. What a fool, drinking a potion given to him by a creature he knew he could not trust.

In Vince’s stead, the spider leapt forth with a hiss.

“Keep that thing busy,” the princess called, moving to the edge of the cavern. “I’ll see if I can get those people down.”

Jasper reluctantly dragged his eyes from her circuit around the cave, instead drawing his sword. If Hendrik could defeat the beast, he could as well, especially with his allies at his side. And perhaps one day, once he was free from the looming shadow of Heliodor, he would never have to compare himself to Hendrik again. One could only hope.

\-----

Erik knocked on the door to Jasper’s room. As much as he wanted to go to El, and make sure they were doing alright after the events of the past few days— judging by the circles under their eyes, they had barely slept the entire time they’d been in Octagonia, and Erik wasn’t sure whether it was competition stress or just the sheer amount of _noise_ — he had too many questions and nowhere near enough answers.

“Come in,” came the response, and Erik opened the door and stepped in. 

Jasper was sitting on the bed, his shirt lifted as he poked at a dark purple bruise on his side. Erik averted his eyes— curtains, cupboard, ceiling, was that a spot? It sort of looked like a hat hamwitch— but not before he caught sight of a raised scar marring the skin there. He didn’t have to look away for long, though, because Jasper soon dropped his shirt and crossed his arms over his chest.

“What do you want?” he asked sharply.

Erik would not allow himself to be intimidated by him, if the two of them were going to be fighting together. “Who is she?”

Jasper’s gaze flicked away. “She is no one.”

“Bullshit.” Maybe he was pressing too hard. Everyone had their secrets, Erik certainly did, but when he thought of backing off, all he could see was Jasper’s pale face in the arena, so unlike the borderline-callous man who had joined their party. This was something he needed to know. “She means something to you.”

“And what is it to you?” Jasper scowled. “Perhaps I knew her once, but those days are long past.”

“Look, you don’t have to talk about it, if you really don’t want to,” Erik said. “And maybe I’m not the right person to talk to, but it seems like there’s a story there.” He scuffed his shoe against the floor. “I get the feeling it’s one you want to tell. I won’t say a word to anyone else about it, if that’s worth anything to you.”

For a few long seconds, Jasper only glared. Erik was on the verge of turning and walking out the door when he spoke again.

“Her name is Jade.”

“You called her ‘Princess’ in the arena,” Erik pointed out.

“Correct.” Jasper’s voice was flat, detached. “She is Crown Princess Jade, daughter of His Majesty King Carnelian of Heliodor and Queen Consort Belle, and heir to the Heliodorian throne.”

Erik let out a low whistle. “What’s she doing in Octagonia, then?”

“That, I do not know. Princess Jade went missing during the fall of Dundrasil. His Majesty declared her dead at the hand of the Luminary soon after, and banned all mention of her. To see her here—” Jasper broke off and turned away. Erik stayed silent to give him a chance to recollect himself, and eventually he continued. “My duty, as well as Hendrik’s duty, was to protect her. Hendrik was there that night, assigned to escort Princess Jade and His Majesty, as was I. We became separated, when I went to assist those at the front lines, and when I returned, Princess Jade was nowhere to be found. It was all we could do to bring His Majesty home safely.” Bitterness seeped into his words. “Hendrik was knighted before me, always the king’s favorite, and when we returned, His Majesty made Hendrik a general, and berated me for allowing Princess Jade out of my sight. Eventually I was promoted as well, but the gesture was empty.”

What was Erik supposed to say to something like that? The longer he waited, the larger the distance between them grew, but even as he struggled for words, he came up empty.

Jasper raised his head, something almost manic crossing his face. “His Majesty changed after the events at Dundrasil. If not for the stir it would cause among the people, I believe that he would have had both myself and Hendrik killed eventually.” A sharp laugh escaped from him, and his shoulders began to shake. “Imagine that! Heliodor’s beloved champion and tactician, both declared traitors to the crown and slaughtered like cattle.”

That was dreadfully, horribly unfunny. Erik would have thought Jasper had been hit by a Fuddle, if that were one of the abilities the Arachtagon had. As it was, he could only stare as Jasper slowly got himself back under control.

Once Jasper was still, Erik spoke up again. “Why would he kill you?”

“Why does it matter?”

“You protected me. On the docks.”

“And pestering me about my past is your way to repay a life debt?” Jasper scoffed.

Erik groaned. “That’s not what I mean. It’s just… if you needed someone to talk to, about… y’know, things like this, I guess I’m here to listen?”

Jasper raised an eyebrow. “You ‘guess’?”

“Ugh, forget it.” Erik turned away. 

“Wait.” When Erik glanced back, Jasper wouldn’t meet his eyes, but his brows were furrowed in something like determination. “Perhaps you have a point. It has been a long time since I have spoken frankly with anyone.”

“Yeah, well.” He shrugged and leaned against the wall next to the doorframe. 

Silence fell between them once more, but Erik could wait. He looked away and began twirling his dagger, trying to sort through what Jasper had already told him. The woman from the tournament, Jade, was a long-lost princess. Compared to most of the rest of the things he’d seen since he’d joined El’s quest, that wasn’t too hard to believe. What he couldn’t fathom was the rest of Jasper’s story. He’d been too young and too far away when it happened to know much of the fall of Dundrasil, but he’d picked up bits and pieces through his travels. Not only that, but why would King Carnelian have promoted Hendrik but not Jasper? From what he knew of both men— which, admittedly, was a lot of rumors and hearsay— both were skilled fighters and immensely loyal to Heliodor. If one of them was at fault for losing Jade, the other was as well.

When Jasper still didn’t speak, Erik decided to ask. “Why would he only promote one of you?”

Jasper scowled. “Were you not listening? Hendrik was— and still is— his favorite, and as such, Hendrik’s mistakes do not matter in his eyes.”

“That still doesn’t add up,” Erik blurted. Jasper gave him a flat look, and he rushed to explain. “Look, I don’t know much about your king, but if he really liked Hendrik so much better, why would he even bring you to Dundrasil?”

For the first time since they’d met, Jasper appeared lost for words. He opened his mouth, then shut it again. Finally, “I do not know.”

“It’s weird,” Erik said. “Just like how it’s weird that you think he’d kill you.”

Jasper’s expression shuttered. “Perhaps.” He stood and strode to the window. “Leave me. I have much to consider tonight.”

“But—”

“I said leave me.” His voice left no room for argument, so Erik did as he asked.

“Just keep it in mind,” he said as he stepped out of the room. There was no response apart from the door shutting behind him. “Well. That could have gone worse.” 

For each question he’d gotten the answer to, there were a dozen more that spawned. Still, it was clear he’d be getting nothing more that night. As he passed by El’s room, he tested the door. Locked.

Resigned, Erik continued the walk to his own room. There was always tomorrow to address whatever was between them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a bit of a long chapter, at least compared to the others I've posted, but I enjoyed writing it, so I hope it holds up! Jasper absolutely deserves some bonding time with everyone, whether he's ready for it or not.
> 
> Also it is absolutely canon that El has Protagonist Syndrome (tm), where everyone they meet gets the sudden urge to spill their life story. Something about that Protagonist Aura (tm).
> 
> So, as it turns out, this weekly schedule is posting my prepared chapters faster than I can write and edit new ones. Either after this chapter or next one, I'll probably be switching to posting new chapters every other week, so that I have more of a buffer to write new chapters for y'all.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

“Dundrasil,” Erik muttered to himself, keeping his eyes carefully trained on El’s back. “Of course it had to be Dundrasil.” After all the work they’d put into the tournament, the old guy had just gone and stolen the Rainbough before any of them could even lay eyes on it. And of course he wanted to meet at Dundrasil, or at least what was left of it. If Erik didn’t know better, he might’ve thought the man knew who El really was.

… Maybe it was too soon to discount that possibility. There was a knowing glint in the old man’s eye that Erik hadn’t liked at all. Still, before Erik had met El, he never would have thought the heir to Dundrasil’s throne was still alive and kicking. It made no sense for a random old man to know.

Ahead of him, El raised their crossbow and fired at a knight errant in the distance. The monster whirled around, spotting the group and clanking towards them. Erik sighed and readied his dagger. It was the fifteenth monster El had managed to antagonize on the way to Dundrasil, and Erik suspected the fight wouldn’t do anything to ease the tense line of their back. Not that he was about to stop them. Maybe this time they’d swap him in to fight by their side instead of Jasper or Sylv.

… Or not. Erik watched as El gestured for Jasper to join them, and tried to ignore the flare of frustration in his chest. He hadn’t gotten the chance to fight beside El since Gondolia, and he was just about ready to hurl his dagger into the eyehole of the knight errant’s armor.

Sylv sidled up to him. “So.” They made a show of examining their nails instead of looking at him, but their curiosity was nearly a tangible thing. “What did you do to piss off El, honey?”

Erik groaned. “I don’t know, not that it’s any of your business.”

That was the wrong answer. “Oh, but it is,” Sylv replied, a dangerous grin crossing their face. “You see, El happens to be the pillar of our little group, but that’s a lot of weight for one person to carry, y’know? So a pillar like that needs their own support.”

“And?” Erik sheathed his dagger. “What are you getting at?”

“Erik, darling, we both know you’re not that dumb.”

“Maybe if you didn’t always talk in circles,” he snapped, crossing his arms over his chest. “Get to the point.”

Sylv rolled their eyes. “Fine, fine, if you’re going to be a grouch about it. El trusts you, honey. You knew them first, and they lean on you.”

Something like guilt gnawed at Erik’s stomach. “That’s not true,” he said weakly. “We all support them.”

“You know what I mean.” Sylv flicked him in the forehead. “You acting dense won’t change the truth, and we’re going to need you to figure things out with them sooner rather than later. I don’t care what’s between you—” that was a blatant lie, Erik knew Sylv would love the gossip— “but it needs fixing before El runs themself into the ground. Take care of it or the rest of us will find a way to take care of it for you.”

“Ugh, fine.” 

Seemingly satisfied, Sylv patted him on the shoulder before walking to rejoin the rest of the party, who’d made short work of the knight errant. El’s eyes flicked to Erik, then quickly away as they turned and continued on the path. Sylv shot Erik a meaningful look and a wink before dragging the rest of the party into a tale of their days as part of the traveling circus, an arm thrown over Jasper’s shoulder. Despite the annoyance on Jasper’s face, he made no move to push them off.

Erik took the opportunity to jog up to El’s side. “Hey.”

El raised an eyebrow at him, but said nothing.

“Look, we’ve got to talk.” Hopefully the rest of the party was distracted enough that El would be comfortable saying more than a few words, but if he had to, he’d bring it up again and again until they talked to him.

Their frown twisted, and for a moment, Erik thought they might brush him off, but eventually they nodded.

When they still remained silent, Erik took it upon himself to start the conversation. “I know you’ve got a lot to worry about right now, but we’re partners. You know I’ve got your back, right?” He forced a laugh. “Sometimes literally, like with that arrow.”

El flinched as though they’d been struck.

“Oh.” Everything fell into place. “Okay, shit, maybe it’s too soon to joke about that. Is that why you’re upset at me?”

A nod.

“El…” Erik couldn’t bring himself to look at them any longer. “That arrow could’ve killed you. I… I wasn’t thinking when I jumped in front of it, but I would do it again. You’re important.” El made a quiet, almost wounded sound, and Erik hurried to correct himself. “Not just as the Luminary! I mean, that’s why I started following you, but you’re more than that, y’know? You’re the Luminary, but you’re also…” He ran a hand over his face. “Ugh, I’m shit at things like this.”

There was silence, then: “You’re important, too.”

Erik scowled. “I’m not going to apologize for protecting you. I would do it again.” Yggdrasil’s leaves, that wasn’t a lie, but it sure felt like one. He didn’t deserve to make promises like those, when he would be the one driving his dagger into El’s back.

“Erik.” El’s voice broke, and Erik felt something in him breaking as well. “I can’t do this on my own.”

“You wouldn’t be on your own,” Erik said softly.

“Just…” Something in El’s voice was so, so lost. “Even if you’re lying, just promise me you won’t do it again.”

And how could Erik say no to that? “I promise.”

El was silent for another moment, but then a faint, wobbly smile crossed their face. “Thank you.”

“Always.” Erik bumped them with his hip. “Partners, remember?”

“Yeah.” They laughed. “Partners.”

\-----

Princess Jade had disappeared sometime after the ritual performed by Eleven and the old man who had turned out to be Lord Robert of Dundrasil— some part of Jasper still did not believe it, though he supposed he owed him thanks for taking care of Princess Jade for so long— and Jasper had not even been given a chance to speak with her. Instead, he was stuck waiting for her and Eleven to return from wherever they’d gone.

The rest of the group had broken into murmurs, none of them wanting to disturb Lord Robert in his mourning. As such, Jasper was the first to hear the clanking armor and see the shine of torches entering the ruins of Dundrasil.

Before he could warn everyone else, a familiar voice broke through the silence.

“The Darkspawn is here in the ruins. His Majesty wants him alive. Do not let him escape.”

Jasper sneered. Of course Hendrik would be the one leading the search; the man was a dog with a bone once the king gave him an order. Apparently it did not matter whether the king was in his right mind.

“One of you, collect Lord Robert,” he ordered, standing from the rubble he’d been using as a seat. “He will surely know somewhere we can hide until the soldiers leave.”

“What about El?” Erik demanded.

Jasper gave him a flat look. “Any efforts we make to search for Eleven will just lead the soldiers to them. They will have better luck hiding on their own.”

Though Erik seemed on the verge of hurling a few insults at him, he eventually acquiesced and hurried towards the altar. 

A pair of soldiers rounded the bend, and Jasper uttered a quiet curse. 

“Here’s some!” they called out.

Jasper threw a fireball their way, distracting them long enough for him to round up the others and hurry towards the altar.

“I hope you know a way out,” he told Lord Robert.

“Aye, of course,” the man replied. “Follow me, all of ye.”

The five of them did as he asked, Jasper and Veronica bringing up the rear to throw magic in the direction of any soldiers brave enough to follow. Luckily, Jasper’s initial attack seemed to have done enough to scare them off for the time being, and all of them managed to make it to Lord Robert’s hiding spot without incident. All that was left to do was wait.

Waiting had never been Jasper’s strong suit. He lasted perhaps a minute before giving in to the restlessness building up inside of him. 

“Serena,” he said quietly, ignoring the glare Erik shot his way. “It is not the most opportune moment, but I have been meaning to ask you to teach me healing magic.”

Serena giggled, muffling the sound with her hand. “I suppose I could show you the basics while we wait, so long as we’re quiet.”

“Of course.” Jasper ignored Veronica groaning and rolling her eyes, and moved to sit beside Serena. Sylv sidled up on the other side of him, though he suspected they had no interest in the lesson itself, and instead were looking for more opportunities to pester him. No matter, he could focus even with a bothersome jester beside him.

“Healing is about using your own energy to assist the body’s natural healing capabilities,” Serena whispered. “It requires some form of faith. Most people assume that faith must be in Yggdrasil Herself, which is why most people rarely get beyond the basics. Above all else, you must have faith in yourself, and faith in the magic you are calling upon. So long as you believe that the person can mend, they will.” She frowned. “Still, there are some things which even magic cannot heal. Old age is an extension of Yggdrasil’s will, and as such, we have no power to reverse it using magic She gave us.”

Serena continued to speak softly, and Jasper listened, until the sound of hooves on stone echoed through the ruins. The entire group went silent as the hoofbeats came closer.

Jasper rose from his seat, creeping toward the entrance to their hiding spot. Though there were no longer any soldiers wandering through the ruins, he recognized the stark black horse as Hendrik’s mount. Except, those were two silhouettes on his back, and Jasper had never known Hendrik to allow anyone else to ride with him outside of dire circumstances.

The horse drew closer, and Jasper’s suspicions were confirmed. Riding Obsidian was Princess Jade and Eleven. Jasper turned back and gestured to the group to come out before stepping into the open.

“Princess, Luminary,” he greeted them, reaching out to take Obsidian’s reins as Princess Jade leapt off the horse. “Do I want to know how you managed to obtain Obsidian?”

“Oh, is that his name?” his princess asked with a smirk. “I was thinking of naming him Stormcloud.” She turned and offered Eleven her hand to climb down.

“There ye both are! And in one piece too!” Lord Robert called out, his arms flung wide in greeting, and Jasper led Obsidian aside, allowing the horse to snorfle at his hair.

“Just about,” Princess Jade replied. “No thanks to Hendrik and his men…”

Jasper stiffened, his hand tightening on the reins. “If that bastard truly attacked you, so help me…”

“He did,” she confirmed.

His teeth ground together, but he said nothing else as Lord Robert continued to speak.

“I would have liked a wee word with the rascal,” he said, shaking his head, “but… I doubt he’d have told us much. If even he’s out for yer blood, the forces of evil must have a stronger hold on Heliodor than ever.” The man gave Jasper a sideways look. “Though I’ll admit I never expected to see ye fighting alongside the Luminary, laddie.”

Jasper snapped himself out of his rage to grin dangerously at him. “Well, according to my dear Hendrik, I have always been callous, flighty, and without a devoted bone in my body. It is a wonder I did not turn against His Majesty sooner, is it not?” His eyes flickered away, to Princess Jade, and his grin faltered. “Or was it that you expected me to join the forces of evil?”

Lord Robert’s silence was answer enough.

“I see.” Some part of him had been expecting it, yet the realization still sat bitter on his tongue. “I… Excuse me.” A short tug on Obsidian’s reins brought the stallion clopping after him as he walked from the ruins.

He could climb onto Obsidian and just ride until he felt nothing. It wasn’t as though any of them would particularly care if he disappeared, especially now that Lord Robert and Princess Jade were guaranteed to join them. Yet… he knew deep in his bones that they would. Despite all odds, he seemed to have managed to earn some sort of place among them.

Still, the idea was tempting, enough so that he hardly noticed the world darkening around him. What was impossible to ignore was the sensation of his limbs locking in place, as a pillar of purplish smoke rose from the ground in front of him.

“Sir Jasper,” a voice spoke, a voice which had haunted his nightmares since before even his knighting ceremony. The smoke cleared to reveal a man— no, a _fiend_ — with ornate purple robes and a long, twisted staff. “You turned down my offer once, when you were young and foolish.” The fiend’s figure flickered. “Ordinarily I would not be so forgiving, but I believe we can still help one another.” He leaned forward on his staff, his purple lips splitting in a leer. “You’ve never belonged anywhere, have you? At Heliodor, your beloved king could never recognize your talent, and even here, they hardly trust you to fight with them. Unlike them, I can offer you a place where you and your talents will be truly appreciated.” His hand stretched out, chalk-white skin and sharp nails almost glowing against the purple fog around them. “Just take my hand.”

Jasper looked at the fiend’s hand, then his face, and he was twenty again, reeling from the loss of his princess and the inconceivable distance of his king and his best friend. Everything he wanted, everything he _needed_ , was in the palm of that hand.

The pressure on Jasper’s limbs lifted, leaving him free to make his choice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, uh, I realize that this might've been a cruel chapter to post just as I switched schedules to post less often, but in my defense, I did not realize that the schedule lined up like that. 
> 
> On a lighter subject: Rab's accent drives me _crazy_. You might notice, reading this chapter and later ones, that a lot of Rab's dialogue (*cough* or, at least, the little I give him *cough*) is canon dialogue, and that's because I can _not_ stand trying to figure out his accent. If Rab happens to be your favorite character and you'd like to volunteer to help translate dialogue into the way the game writes his accent, feel free, but otherwise, we're sticking mostly with the canon stuff. Sorry in advance, I've been trying to keep it to a minimum, but it's hard to avoid when the fic encounters a canon cutscene (aka whenever a new person joins the party).
> 
> Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed! For now, I'm sticking with the schedule of once every two weeks, since there are some things I'd like to edit in the chapters I have stocked up, and I need some extra time to do so.


	6. Chapter 6

As soon as Jasper was out of sight, Jade whirled around to glare at Rab. “What was that?” she demanded. The rest of the group shifted away from her, discomfort clear on each of their faces. Good. Apart from El, all of them would be wise to fear her wrath. Though she’d only known Jasper for six years before she disappeared at Dundrasil, he’d been nothing but kind to her, always putting her needs and wants above his own. He could sometimes be rude and a bit arrogant, but Jade knew that beneath all that, he was a good person.

Fortunately, something like guilt settled in Rab’s expression. “I didnae mean it like that, lassie.” 

“You’d better not have meant it,” Sylv butted in, no hint of their usual sunny countenance to be seen. “Jasper’s our friend, not some extra jealous of the spotlight!”

“The lad caught me off guard, that’s all,” Rab protested.

Jade crossed her arms over her chest. “Fine. As soon as you’re done explaining things, we’re going to fetch him, and you’re going to apologize. You’d better hope he didn’t go far.”

“Yes, yes, of course.” And Rab continued his little spiel.

Jade shifted impatiently as he spoke of Mordegon and El’s duty to defeat him, and she resisted the urge to groan when Rab passed off the Rainbough and it remained inert.

El shot her a sympathetic look and tucked the branch into their bag.

Veronica huffed. “Don’t tell me it’s a dud! If that Noah sent us on a wild goose chase, I’ll throttle him! He could have told us it didn’t work before we wasted a zillion hours chasing it halfway across the world!”

“Now, now, let’s not jump to conclusions!” Rab raised his hands in a placating gesture. “Why don’t Jade and I join you, and we’ll see if we can’t make our way a bit closer to Yggdrasil and try again? We’ll not give youse any bother, I promise!”

El nodded, and the group of them began the trek out of the ruins. The walk was silent, at least until they crossed the entrance of the ruins and the bit of the Rainbough poking out of El’s bag began to glow.

“Hey,” Erik said, “the branch— it’s…” 

That was all Jade heard, before her sight was taken over by a vision of a floating platform beneath the majesty of Yggdrasil, and six colorful orbs. When she came to, the group was chattering, and Erik had dug the Red Orb out of his own bag.

She gasped. “Our prize from the tournament!” She smiled faintly at Rab. “Lucky we didn’t sell it in the end, eh?”

“Aye.” Rab beamed back at her. “And there I was, all set to swap it for a few piffling trinkets for the road!” He pulled out the Yellow Orb and handed it over to El, who quickly pocketed both it and the Red Orb.

The rest of them continued talking about the vision and their plans, but Jade’s attention had been caught by a jet-black horse in the distance, with no rider. Her heart plummeted.

Without waiting for the others to finish their discussion, she broke out in a sprint, scanning the ground for any sign of the red shirt and white pants that Jasper had taken to wearing instead of his Heliodorian armor. She finally found him lying face down in the tall grass with his sword unsheathed beside him. 

“Jasper?” She flung herself down and flipped him over. His face was deathly pale, and far, far too still. “Oh no, no no no!” An eternity passed before she managed to find his pulse, strong underneath her fingertips even despite his pallor. Keeping her fingers pressed to his neck, she bowed her head over him and murmured a quiet, frantic prayer to Yggdrasil. “You’ll be alright, or I’ll kick your ass myself.”

“Best watch your language, Your Highness. Hendrik would throw a fit.”

Jasper’s eyes fluttered open, a faint smile accompanying his teasing words.

“I told you to call me Jade,” she grumbled, but helped him when he began to sit up. She scanned him for any gaping wounds or any sign of what might have caused him to pass out, but found nothing. “And it doesn’t matter what Hendrik thinks anymore.”

“No, I suppose it does not.” Jasper grimaced.

Serena knelt beside them, and for the first time, Jade noticed that the rest of the party had caught up. Still, she remained at her spot by Jasper’s side, only shifting to give Serena room to work her magic. She managed to fend Sylv off from joining her with a glare, though they glared straight back.

“What happened to ye, laddie? One minute ye were spick and span, and now ye’re here.”

“I…” Jasper blinked, then scowled. “That, I do not know.”

Jade frowned, leaning in. “What is the last thing you remember?”

Confusion flashed across Jasper’s face. “I left the ruins. Something… For some strange reason, I could not continue walking.”

“Do you feel at all dizzy?” Serena asked gently.

“Perhaps a bit weak in the limbs.” His carefully schooled expression returned, but Jade could still see the panic flickering behind his eyes.

“I see.” Serena hummed, standing gracefully. “I could not find anything wrong, but please tell me if you begin to feel ill.”

Veronica hmphed, walking up to Jasper to poke him in the chest with her wand. “You’d better not slow us down with this, you hear?”

Jasper chuckled and managed to stand with only minimal assistance from Jade. “So long as you do not slow us down with your short legs.” Sylv materialized on his other side to steady him.

“Excuse me?” Veronica squawked, smacking him with her wand. “You wanna repeat that?”

“Oh, I was not aware you could not hear from down there,” Jasper said with a grin, and Jade retreated to leave him to his fate. During their childhoods, Jasper had only ever spent his free time with her or Hendrik, but he seemed to have done an alright job carving out a place for himself even without her assistance. He was still stiff, and perhaps a bit wary, but he had stayed, even after Rab’s slight. That was enough to give her faith.

Laughing softly to herself, Jade patted Hendrik’s horse on the flank. “Run on home, buddy. You’ll be better off with your master, even if he’s a bit dense.”

The horse tossed his mane, but obliged, and Jade hung back to watch him gallop off towards the horizon.

\----- 

Veronica looked up from her book for the fifth time that hour, scowling as she noticed Jasper still leaning against the rail at the back of the Salty Stallion. He’d seemed fine after his strange fainting episode at Dundrasil, but it seemed like every other morning she’d catch him skulking around on deck. Sure, he was his same arrogant, annoying self whenever he talked to someone— he and Erik had started to gang up on her in their bickering, which was _rude_ — but something was… off. She’d talked to Serena about it, but her sister hadn’t noticed anything, and Sylv had been extra flighty ever since Puerto Valor, enough so that she couldn’t even pin them down for a single conversation. Some days, it felt like Veronica was the only one in the group without her head in the clouds.

(Apart from Jade, of course, but Veronica never knew what to talk about with her. Besides, Veronica thought the princess might have a fit if Veronica gave her any more reasons to worry about Jasper, who somehow managed to be the lesser mother hen of the two. Not that he wasn’t bad enough with his hovering.)

When Veronica glanced over again to find him _still_ moping, she shut her book with a snap. Something had to change, before she ended up pulling her hair out due to sheer frustration. She walked over to him, stomping as loudly as possible on the deck to announce her approach.

“I have yet to figure out how one so small can be so loud,” Jasper complained, without bothering to even face her. “Do you perhaps cover the soles of your boots in a new layer of iron every morning?”

“Even if I did, it would take less time than however long you spend on getting your hair like that.” Veronica pulled a crate over and stood on it so that she could lean on the rail alongside him. This close, she could see the shadows under Jasper’s eyes, made worse by the absence of his characteristic smugness.

“It does take work to keep it looking this wonderful,” Jasper replied, not taking the bait. Another point in the column of _what the hell_. “Did you come here to pester me about my personal grooming, or was there something else on your mind?”

Well, let it never be said that Veronica was one to beat around the bush. “You’ve been sulking.”

Jasper snorted. “Sulking.”

“Oh, whatever you want to call it! That’s not the important part. What’s wrong with you?”

In response, Jasper only laughed, leaning a little further over the side. If he fell, Veronica absolutely was not going to catch him. Probably.

Finally, he raised his head to look at her. “It appears that Erik and Eleven have reconciled.” He gestured toward the other end of the ship, where Erik was steadying the green-around-the-edges Eleven.

“What?” Veronica blinked, then smacked him with her book. “Hey! I’m not Sylv, you can’t just distract me with gossip! Besides, you know as well as I do that they’ve been back to being gross since before Dundrasil.”

“Sylv has begun a betting pool,” Jasper said blandly. 

She squinted at him. “And what did you— Argh, stop trying to change the subject!”

“It nearly worked this time, did it not?”

“No way. Come on, what’s going on with you?”

Jasper sighed, flicking his bangs out of his face. “Nothing more than some lost sleep. Certainly nothing for you to worry your little head about.”

“What, are you seasick?”

“Hardly," he scoffed. "It is only a few unpleasant dreams. As I said, no cause for concern.”

“Dreams mean something a lot of the time, though.” Veronica puffed out her cheeks. “Especially when we’re on a journey like this.” 

She paused, looking out at the ocean. Some sort of strange fog was rising up from the water, and in a matter of seconds, it had completely surrounded the Salty Stallion, the sound of the ocean waves melting away. “Okay, I haven’t been on many boats, but this does _not_ seem normal.”

“It is not.” Jasper’s face hardened, and he pushed off from the railing to walk towards where Sylv stood at the wheel. Veronica hopped off of her crate to follow.

“Hey, Sylv!” Erik shouted from his seat next to Eleven. “What’s going on?”

“I’m truly mist-ified—” Veronica groaned at their pun— “but whatever it is, I don’t like it… Steering hard astarboard!” The ship turned, but the mist remained, only seeming to grow denser as it clung to the ship.

Finally, Rab called out. “The mists are clearing! I can see light up ahead!”

Sure enough, the fog ahead seemed thinner, yet…

Something ground against the bottom of the ship, sending everyone hurrying to grab hold of the rails. When the shaking stopped, the ship was still. The fog had cleared around them, enough to reveal that they’d managed to get stuck on a sandbar, surrounded by crags of coral-covered rock, and a large, decades-old stranded ship.

Wherever they were, they were stuck for the time being. Hopefully that time wouldn’t stretch into forever. Pushing that lovely thought from her head, Veronica hurried over to help Sylv lower the gangplank, and the group exited the ship. 

The air around them was perfectly still, even though the fog had completely cleared sometime while they were prepping the gangplank. Whether it was magic or the work of demons, Veronica didn’t know, but she didn’t like it. 

She sidled close to Jasper. If something attacked them, they’d probably get him first, since he was taller and all that. She wasn’t scared, she was just… strategic. He gave her a faint look of amusement, but said nothing, which was good, because Veronica had no qualms about breaking his knees with her staff if he happened to piss her off enough.

Eventually— after Eleven mucking around looking for treasure as they always did, no doubt in part due to the terrible influence of Erik— the eight of them approached the pool in the center of the sand bar.

Eleven stepped up to it, and a head popped out from the water. Veronica did not _shriek_ , though she might’ve jumped. Just a little bit, though, certainly not enough to justify Jasper laughing at her. She drove her heel into the top of his boot, taking great pride in the way he grunted in pain. Served him right.

“Oh darling, is it really you? My dearest darling Kai?” the head asked. “I’ve waited for you ever since the day we said goodbye?” When she looked over them, her face dropped.

Veronica scowled. “Hey! What do you think you’re playing at, scaring us like that?” she crossed her arms over her chest. “And there’s no need to look so disappointed to see us!”

The owner of the head pulled herself further out of the water and onto the rock jutting into the center of the pool, revealing long, voluminous pink hair, a decorated, cropped silver top, and… was that a tail?

“Hold on… are you a… mermaid?”

Jasper snickered again, and she elbowed him. She’d seen drawings of mermaids in the picture books the elders of Arboria distracted the kids with when they were too keen on trying to participate in sacred rituals, but she’d never actually expected to be able to see one in real life.

The mermaid tilted her head at her. “That’s strange, you didn’t try to catch me in a net. You’re different from most other human beings that I’ve met.” Her tail flipped a little as she smiled serenely. “My name’s Michelle. I’m sorry if I gave you all a fright, it— It’s just I thought my Kai was back, and I got all excited…”

“I can’t believe I’m talking to a real live mermaid,” Veronica muttered, then cleared her throat. “But anyway… Who’s this Kai you keep talking about?”

The smile on Michelle’s face turned dreamy, and Veronica resisted the urge to gag. “He’s a tender-hearted fisherman from Lonalulu bay. He promised he would meet me here… upon our wedding day.”

Now that was something strange. “Your wedding day?” Veronica pressed. “I didn’t even think humans and mermaids could get married!” Wasn’t there some fairytale about mermaids being unable to live for long on land..?

“At first I was the same,” Michelle replied. Veronica realized too late that she’d practically invited the mermaid to tell them all her gushy story. Ew. Feigning interest, she nodded along and blocked out as much of it as possible, letting Jade jump in and take over. Still, the mermaid was from the bottom of the sea. If they could get her to like them, she’d probably be willing to take them to her Queen, and if anyone were to know whether the pearl from the legends was one of the Orbs, it would be the Queen.

Veronica tuned back in just in time to hear Michelle asking for them to search for Kai at Lonalulu. That could work in their favor. “How about this: if we go and check on your fiancé, will you take us down to see the Queen?”

Michelle lit up. “To pay for such a kindness, it’s the least that I can do! I’ll sing my song and safely sink your ship and crew!”

… Okay, that was probably better than it sounded. Still, Veronica could practically see the path to the Orb in front of them. They just had to find one fisherman. How hard could it be?

\-----

Erik stepped into the room he and El had rented out for the night, taking in the sight of El sitting cross-legged in the middle of one of the beds. They didn’t appear to notice his presence, instead staring pensively down at the lovers’ veil they held gingerly in their hands.

“What are you thinking about?” he asked as he closed the door behind him. 

El startled, though their grip on the veil remained gentle. “I just—” their gaze flickered to Erik, then back to the veil— “it just doesn’t seem fair.”

“Yeah, tell me about it.” Erik flopped back on his own mattress, folding his hands behind his head. He squinted over at them. “Are you gonna tell her?”

They opened their mouth, then shut it again, tilting their head so that their hair fell in front of their face. “I don’t— I should, but—”

“Right. The whole talking thing.” He grimaced. “She might not even believe you, anyway. People don’t like thinking about bad things.” Erik knew he certainly didn’t. Without any word from the voice, he’d managed to shove down the idea of what he had to do. If he didn’t think about it, he could almost pretend he was still that naive boy who’d listened to a dream when it told him that if he helped the Luminary, he would find forgiveness.

… That dream was getting eerily close to coming true, but there was no way. The only way he’d get forgiveness would be by fixing what he’d done to his sister. It didn’t matter what he had to do, and it didn’t matter that the idea of sinking his blade between El’s ribs triggered a visceral repulsion in him. When the time came, he would do it. He didn’t have a choice.

“Erik?” El’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts. They’d put the veil back in their bag, and were watching him with an uncanny stare. When they noticed he was paying attention, they relaxed, but there was still something in their eyes Erik didn’t particularly like. “What do you think will happen when we get all the Orbs?”

Erik pretended to consider the question, though he already knew an answer that would ease the furrow between their brows. “Well, Serena said that Yggdrasil had a means of fighting the darkness somewhere up in all those branches.” He shot them a lazy grin. “Let’s hope it’s not a staff, cause you’re pretty shit at magic.”

El huffed. “Better than you.”

“ _Excuse_ me,” Erik laughed, “but I didn’t hear you complaining when Boulderbringer brought down that drackolyte right before it hit you.”

“At least I know more than one type of spell.”

“Hey! I know at least two.”

“I’m sorry, _two_ ,” they snickered. 

Erik scowled teasingly and pulled off his shoe to lob at them, which they dodged easily. 

“Thank Yggdrasil I didn’t ask you to switch to boomerangs, with that aim. You’d end up whacking Veronica over the head with one.”

“That’s what she gets for ‘accidentally’ singeing my hair all the time.”

“She’s just very enthusiastic about keeping up with her magic training,” El replied innocently.

Erik snorted. “Right.”

The two of them fell into a comfortable silence. Eventually, El set aside their bag and began moving around to get ready for bed. Erik let their bustling fade into background noise as he pulled off his other shoe and settled in under the covers of his own bed.

It wasn’t until later, when the lanterns were extinguished and Erik was halfway to dreamland, that El spoke up again, their back towards him.

“When we get up to Yggdrasil…” They paused. 

Erik knew better than to try to coax them. Either they would tell him or they wouldn’t, but if he interrupted the process, they’d likely never draw up the confidence again. It was a long moment, though, waiting for them to muster their words.

“What if I’m not what She expected? What if She’s… disappointed in what I am?”

In an instant, Erik was wide awake. How could he have forgotten? Even with such a grand destiny, El was still human. They’d been shoved out of their safe, peaceful village, straight into the task of saving a world where half of its occupants believed they were evil or wanted them dead. And oh, Yggdrasil’s leaves, they _trusted_ Erik, believed he was worthy of their trust, and he had been planning to kill them from the beginning.

“... Nevermind, just forget I asked.” El pulled the blankets over their head. “I don’t know what I was thinking, it was a stupid question, anyway.”

Shit. “Wait, no, it wasn’t!” Erik protested. “You just caught me off guard, that’s all.” He berated himself mentally for letting himself forget the burden on their shoulders, the one he was supposed to be helping them carry. “El, I don’t think She could ever be disappointed in you. You’re more than the Luminary, you’re good because it’s who you are. You don’t just fight because it’s your destiny, but because you want to help the people you’re fighting for.” Was it working? He’d grown to be a master of reading even the most minute of El’s expressions, but that did him no good when he was staring at a lump under the comforter. El didn’t respond, so he continued. “All of us follow you because we believe in who you are and what you do, not because of what you stand for. You’re the Luminary, but you’re also our friend.”

“... Thanks, Erik. Goodnight.”

“Uh, yeah, anytime.” Shit, he really couldn’t tell whether it worked. “Night.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you for reading! 
> 
> I don't really have much to say about the events of this chapter, apart from: hey, everyone's alive! I wouldn't call it filler, because I don't believe that chapters which are slower plot-wise are inherently filler, but this one is definitely a contrast to the last one I posted (again, sorry about the two-week wait). 
> 
> We are creeping toward Yggdrasil! I don't plan to describe each quest to get the Orbs, because, well, this fic isn't meant to be a bunch of campfire vignettes, but I'm trying to include enough of the changed interactions and group bonding. I may add some of their quests that I cut out in a bundle of one-shots in this AU, because I have some plans for some post-fic one-shots that I'd like to write. Even after I'm done with the events of the main story, I'm not yet ready to let go of this AU!
> 
> Also, random note: I'm terrible at coming up with chapter and fic titles, but I adore chapter titles with all my heart, so if I can come up with some for this fic, I'll add them at some point.

**Author's Note:**

> I have not decided on an update schedule, because I am a tired college student and this is what I do in my downtime to try to relax, so I'm trying not to turn it into a chore. I do, however, have some complete chapters backed up, as long as I don't decide anything needs a complete overhaul, so I'll try to get some more out soon. I'll aim for one every one or two weeks, but again, I can't make any promises. Either way, I hope you enjoyed!


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